In many Turkic languages, the word "caravanserai" means a rather large structure located in a city or on a road, which serves as a parking place and shelter for Asian travellers. As a rule, it was used by trade caravans. There are open and closed caravanserai. The walls of the latter allowed to repel an attack and even withstand a short siege. Most often such a caravanserai was located along caravan routes, although sometimes this type was also found in cities. The base of a caravanserai has a square or rectangular shape. As a rule, there is an open courtyard with a well in the centre. Inside the building there were living rooms and storage rooms for goods. A corral for pack animals was obligatory. Caravanserais had one or two floors. In two-storey variants on the first floor were rooms for guests, and under them there were warehouses and pens for animals.
Often caravanserais looked very luxurious, but had no household utensils, because of which travellers had to carry bedding, carpets and provisions for themselves and their animals. Usually there was only water brought from afar. In big cities, caravanserais were a full-fledged semblance of modern hotels. In addition to shelter they provided additional services: catering, baths, money changers, etc.
In the resort town of Kusadasi there is an excellent Caravanserai dating back to the sixteenth century. It was built by Sultan Mehmet Pasha. It had wide walls, stone staircases, high towers and iron gates. Its cosy courtyard had beautiful fountains and a pleasant smell of spices. In those times, tired trade caravans travelling along the Great Silk Road from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean cities stopped there. Foreign merchants indulged in oriental pleasures here.
During the restoration of the Caravan Saray in the 1960s, its original beauty was recreated. Now many tourists enjoy spending time here. They rest in the shade of tropical vegetation of the inner courtyard, enjoy the murmuring of fountain streams and gentle trills of birds. In the Caravanserai you can taste excellent Turkish cuisine, watch and listen to the entertainment programme consisting of local music and folk dances. You may even want to join this whirlwind of dance and dance to the delightful rhythms of Anatolian, Thracian and Caucasian melodies. The highlight of the entertainment programme is undoubtedly the spectacular belly dance performed by beautiful Turkish dancers. A visit to the Caravanserai in Kusadasi gives tourists an unforgettable experience.
