Also called the “Mother of Iranian Caravansarais,” Dayr-e Gachin is a historic caravanserai at the heart of Kavir National Park in Qom, Iran. The construction was originally built during the Sasanian era (224-651 AD); nevertheless, the current structure largely dates from the Safavid era (1501-1736). Covering 12000 square meters of area, the caravanserai comprises four circular towers, 44 chambers, 4 stables, a mosque, a private shabestan (an underground space), a barn, a gristmill, and a bathhouse.
Dayr-e Gachin is one of the largest and oldest of the Persian caravansaries, located on the ancient trade route from Rey to Qom.
Designed in a perfect square plan, the caravanserai was built of brick, lime, adobe, and plaster. Each corner of the structure had a specific purpose. The gristmill was in the northwest, the bathhouse and kitchen in the southwest, a private apartment in the northeast, and the mosque in the southeast. The mosque has no decorative elements, and it probably replaced the Sasanian fire temple.
