Sultanhanı Caravanserai

Overview

On the long, flat road from Konya to Cappadocia, the steppe runs to the horizon in every direction. Suddenly, a stone wall rises beside the highway, and in its middle stands a marble gate carved like lace. On a bright June morning, we lined up our guests in front of it for a photo, tiny against the stone. This is the Sultanhanı Caravanserai, built by the Seljuk sultan Kayqubad I in 1229.

A Silk Road Inn

In the 13th century, the Seljuk sultans of Konya built a chain of fortified inns along their trade roads. Along the roads, caravans of camels could stop at them and sleep safely behind high walls. Better still, pious endowments paid for the stay, so merchants got food, fodder for their animals and a bed for free.

Sultan Kayqubad I built this one in 1229, on the Uzun Yolu, the Long Road from Konya to Aksaray and on toward Persia. Later, a fire damaged it. In 1278, the Seljuk sultan Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev enlarged it. It covers about 4,680 m2 (50,400 sq ft).

What to See at the Sultanhanı Caravanserai

The marble gate

First, stand in front of the gate. Carved in marble, it projects from the east front of the building. Above the door, a deep niche of muqarnas, carved stone stalactites, hangs like a honeycomb, framed by bands of geometric plaiting.

The summer courtyard

Next, walk through into the open courtyard, 50 m (164 ft) by 62 m (203 ft). Caravans used it in summer, while stables with rooms above lined its arcades. Right in the middle stands a small kiosk mosque raised on four carved arches.

The winter hall

Finally, cross to the far side. A second carved archway leads into the covered hall used in winter. Inside, a long barrel vault runs into the dark, and at its center, a small dome opens to the sky to let in air and light.

Inside the Sultanhanı Caravanserai

First, look just below the pointed arch of the gate. There, a short prayer reads Elminnetül Lillah, “Power belongs to God.” Then, inside the summer courtyard, find the arcades where carts once stood, and on the left the rooms and halls for travelers, two baths and the storerooms. So the caravanserai worked like a small town for one night.

Compare the inner portal of the winter hall with the outer gate. Its strong geometric stars and rosettes were copied almost exactly at the Karatay Han. Inside the hall, four rows of eight piers split the space into five aisles, and the wider middle aisle rises to a dome on an eight-sided drum. Small slit windows and the lantern of the dome give the only light. Our Turkey tour in 21 days stops here between Konya and Cappadocia.

How to Visit the Sultanhanı Caravanserai

The caravanserai stands in the town of Sultanhanı, about 42 km (26 miles) west of Aksaray, right beside the road to Konya. Our private Cappadocia tour from Antalya stops here on the way from Konya to Göreme. Our Cappadocia to Konya tour stops here on the way. Check opening hours before you go.

We stop here on our journeys between Konya and Cappadocia, for example after the Konya Mevlana tour. Further on, walk the Ihlara Valley, and if you need a driver for the road, see our intercity transfers. The same sultan also built the Red Tower of Alanya. For a smaller but richly carved cousin, see the Ağzıkara Han near Aksaray. Riding your own bike? Read our guide to motorcycle touring in Turkey.