Tracing the Ottoman caravansaries along the road between Bilād Al-S̲hām and Istanbul

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study traces the Ottoman caravansaries (guesthouses) which were built as charitable endowments between Bilād Al-S̲hām (the Levant) and Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire. The study draws on Arabic travels, both printed and non-printed, from the sixteenth century and afterward, to understand travels’ experiences, impressions, and perceptions of these caravansaries. The study shows that towns and villages located on the route between Bilād Al-S̲hām and Istanbul were home to several caravansaries. It also appears that these caravansaries contributed to the emergence of residential communities which, over time, developed and turned into large cities. There is also evidence that Ottoman caravansaries were viewed as an economic opportunity for local inhabitants who used to sell food and other local products to travels and pilgrims. The study also draws on travels’ accounts to determine the length of stay and construct a general portrait of how the stay experience in these caravansaries were perceived. The study makes an important contribution to the history of travel and lodging facilities in the Ottoman Empire.