Physical Comparison and Review of the Caravansaries of Isfahan Golpayegan with a Focus on Jelogir Caravanserai

Abstract

Since ancient times, attention has been given to Human’s need for shelter. Building caravansaries has a long history in Iran. Nowadays, you can see valuable buildings, which have been forgotten because of living and commercial changes around the roads of Iran. Conserving the social-cultural heritage of caravansaries (between cities and inns) can provide us with modern equipment and facilities built on the basis of traditional structures. Moreover, it is considered valuable heritage in attracting Iranian and foreign tourists. Jelogir caravansary is among the precious buildings of the Safavid period. It is located 14 kilometers to Khundab (village belonging to Dehq-Najafabad). Jelogir caravansary has been built in Shah Sultan Hussein’s period. While it is of great importance and has special features, no conservation initiative has been taken. Because of the increasing damages and lack of care, it is predicted that only the ruins of the structure exist.

This research aims to introduce Jelogir caravansary architectural and embellishment features. An attempt is made to answer questions about the role of this caravansary in planning and building other caravansaries in the west of Isfahan, located in the route of Golpayegan. To achieve the goals, historical-descriptive and analytic research methods were used. Moreover, by conducting field and desk research, we provided an appropriate course for recognizing and answering the above mentioned questions.