Studying and Recognition of the Downtown Caravansaries of Mazandaran Province (Sari and Babol: A Case Study)

In addition to the place of entry of goods into the city by livestock, caravanserais in the inner city were also considered as livestock, inn and caravanserai residence. In the important northern cities such as Sari, Babol, Gorgan and Rasht, there were several caravanserais, only a few of which have remained. The aim of this study was to study the inner-city caravanserais in the northern regions and the factors affecting the formation and structure of their architecture. This research is based on the author's library and field studies between 2015 and 2019. The architecture of these buildings is mainly similar to other caravanserais in Iran in the form of a central courtyard and chambers around it, but the type of roof covering, local materials, decorations, number, type of openings and type of building are influenced by the temperate climate of the north and architectural features of Qajar period. These halls are mainly built on two floors with commercial chambers, wharfs, and stable in ground floors and resting room for caravansaries’ people were located in the upper floor. In the Pahlavi period, with the growth of urbanization and increasing use of cars, the importance of these caravanserais decreased. These places also changed their use, and some of them became two-story commercial buildings along the main street.