The Seljuks built a series of Caravanserai in Anatolia to provide protective stopovers for travellers along the Silk Road where they were built every 30-40 km, the distance a camel can travel in a day. They helped ensure the safe flow of goods in an era of increasing trade, including an early form of insurance cover. Today some can be seen in fields close to the highway, with the more noteworthy ones attracting current day travellers.
Sultanhan, literally Sultan’s Inn, was built in the early 13th Century and is situated 110km from Konya and 45km from Aksary, a convenient stopping point on our next leg – Konya to Cappadocia. It is one of the best examples of Seljuk architecture.
We visited a second one, Saruhan, near Avanos to see their daily Whirling Dervish ceremony. The whirling puts the Sufi into a meditative state to help them achieve enlightenment. All sense of ego is said to go into their hats.
Shilli-Fully Travels 