How do you know you’re on the silk road? From the smell of the camels, of course. There are no camels in Turkey today, except for some tourist attractions that want to sell camel rides. Back in the day, there wasn’t one silk road, but many. They all ran from China to Constantinople. They went through different countries. Countries competed with each other to get the traffic and trade from the merchants. In 1229, the king of Turkiye built this camel hotel, formally known as the Sultanhan Caravansaray. They offered food, baths, and stalls to store your goods and rest your animals, all free. He built similar facilities every 20 KM, all the way to Constantinople.

The building was divided into an open air area in the front for use in the summer, and an enclosed area in the back to use when it was cold. Here’s a pic of the winter area. The height of the ceiling and size of the rooms emphasize the majesty and importance of the king. The rugs are part of an art exhibit. They wouldn’t have been there in the 1200s. If you are interested, there are a few more pics on the web site.

I hope this finds everybody doing well.