Ahovan Stone Caravanserai

The Ahovan Stone Caravanserai, also known as the Anushirvani Caravanserai of Ahovan, is one of the historic monuments of the Ahovan area in Semnan Province. It stands about 42 kilometres east of Semnan, in the cold highland zone of Ahovan, on the route between Semnan and Damghan. The area has long been important because it lies on one of the main routes towards Khorasan, and caravans and travellers used its lodging buildings to cross this cold, mountainous region. The caravanserai was built of stone and sarooj mortar, and its remains today stand beside the Ahovan Shah Abbasi Caravanserai. Its location and long history make the Ahovan Stone Caravanserai one of the notable historical attractions around Semnan.

There are different views about when the Ahovan Stone Caravanserai was built. Some researchers consider it a Sasanian-era structure, while Ernst Herzfeld attributed it to the Ziyarid period and to Anushirvan the Ziyarid. In light of these views, it is best to regard it as one of the region's very ancient buildings. The caravanserai was used and restored in various periods, from the early Islamic era to the Ilkhanid period, and because of the importance of the Ahovan route it was repaired many times. The building originally had a rectangular courtyard, four iwans and rooms around the courtyard. To cope with the region's severe cold, its entrance was designed with corridors to stop cold air from blowing directly into the interior. Today much of the building has been lost, and visitors can see most of the surrounding walls, part of the entrance corridor and piles of stones left from the structure. In the Safavid period, after the Shah Abbasi Caravanserai was built next to this older building, the importance and prosperity of the stone caravanserai gradually declined. On 26 Shahrivar 1402 (Solar Hijri), it was also inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, together with the Ahovan Shah Abbasi Caravanserai and the other caravanserais in the "Caravanserais of Iran" series.

To reach the Ahovan Stone Caravanserai, take the Semnan–Damghan road towards the Ahovan area. The building is about 42 kilometres east of Semnan, close to the Ahovan Shah Abbasi Caravanserai, and the area is accessible from the main road. Because the area is cold, winters bring severe cold and possible snowfall, and conditions are not suitable for a visit. Late spring, summer and early autumn are therefore better times to visit the building and explore the area. Since large parts of the caravanserai have been destroyed, visitors should not move stones, climb the remaining walls or cause any damage to the remains. It is also best to stay on marked paths in the surrounding countryside and not leave litter or any trace of your visit, so that the remains of this historic building and the natural landscape of Ahovan are preserved.