The oldest hostel I’ve stayed in

In Europe we are quite used to history being intertwined with our present and future. We shop in heritage buildings, visit towns with ancient city walls and don’t always take the time to appreciate it. It isn’t until we visit a place that’s missing this history that we realise what we’ve got. Yet when we are abroad tend to seek out the history of foreign places. Rarely have I experienced history, as in Zein-O-Din caravanserai.

Until the 1500s the silk road was a major network of trading route running from East to West, or China to Europe. People travelled in caravans and traded goods along the way. But they also exchanged their cultures, like art, religion and language, and unfortunately also disease. A caravan travelled on a familiar path and would pass on their goods at certain transfer points and then pick up things to take the other way. Along the way the traders needed a safe place to sleep and let their animals rest.

Zein-o-din dates back to the 16th century and looks more like a fortress as you approach it. It’s in the middle of nowhere with only desert and what is now a busy highway running past it. Almost a thousand of these were built in Iran to provide shelter for travellers. For one night during my Iran trip, I was staying in what might be the oldest hostel I have ever stayed in!

In November Iran isn’t the most popular travel destination and this meant that we nearly had this immense building to ourselves. Our group was based in one side of the caravanserai and another tour group used the opposite. Life is simple inside, but with a lot of atmosphere. Zein-o-din has a unique round design (most are square or rectangular) and there is a long hallway with wooden constructions that serve as rooms. Each room has several mattresses on the floor and its own light. Because there are no real walls, you hear pretty much everything that happens in the long corridor.

Within the ring is an open space with some plants and niches. Some niches lead to a door with some more private quarters. Stairs lead up to the roof from where you have a beautiful view over the empty land towards the mountains. At 4.45PM we saw the sun go down behind them. The temperature dropped instantly and we hid in the communal space. There was a fussball table and we soon attracted the local kids’ attention. They were supposed to do homework, but joined us for a game. There was a lot of giggling, exaggerated facial expression and most of all cheating. All of which surpasses any language barrier. Our stay was advertised as basic, but because it wasn’t busy it felt really cosy and special. There were clean and comfortable bathroom facilities. The beds were simple but warm. The family running the place cooked a nice meal for us and we felt right at home.

Before I closed my eyes I imagined camels tied up to the rings in the wall, dusty and weary travellers sharing the latest gossip on the road and people learning about new inventions, knowing any plunderers or thieves would never get in. Then they’d travel for a day and find a new caravanserai where they would meet other people going the opposite direction. What an exciting and also dangerous life. Now, just like back then, we’ve got everything we need right there. Although this may be the more sanitised version, I feel fortunate that this heritage is still here for people to experience.