An Investigating of the Functions of Iranian Caravanserais with a Landscape Approach

Road development has been one of the requirement for economic development in any historical period. In the old days, caravanserais were built for various reasons because of the vastness of Iran and the need to establish connections between different cities. These construction came in over years for a variety of reasons. These building had other functions rather than providing only a systematic opportunity for travellers and caravans which is taking rest, and also to exchange comes to examine in the possibility of turning it into a historical landscape which is used in tourism, data collection has been done through documentary technique and library studies by examining authentic magazines and books about the caravanserais. In this analysis, through the subject landscape, the functions of the caravanserai are identified and the functions are divided into eleven main categories. By analyzing these functions, it seems that the caravanserais, by their congruent function in different periods of time, have been able to have a special place in the economic, cultural and commercial processes. The narrative of the landscapes functions provides appropriate capacity to create a single tourism aspect and destination.