Iranian Urban and Regional Caravanserais: Processes of Change and Strategies for Future Revitalization

Abstract

The inscription of The Persian Caravanserai on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023 recognized a network of fifty-four caravanserais as a significant component of Iran's historical transportation and commercial infrastructure (UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 2023). Despite this recognition, research has largely examined caravanserais as individual monuments rather than as evolving typological systems. This study compares two principal categories of Iranian caravanserais: regional caravanserais represented by the UNESCO serial property and the urban Vakil Caravanserai in Kerman. Using a historical-interpretative methodology based on documentary sources, UNESCO documentation, historical maps, and architectural analysis, the research investigates their long-term transformation. The findings reveal divergent evolutionary trajectories: regional caravanserais have increasingly become heritage and tourism destinations, whereas urban caravanserais have maintained commercial continuity through functional adaptation. The study argues that future conservation should adopt network-based, typology-sensitive strategies integrating heritage conservation, urban morphology, and adaptive reuse to support sustainable regional development and preserve the historical continuity of the Silk Roads.