Caravanserais and the Silk Road system in Azerbaijan: from Medieval trade infrastructure to contemporary geopolitical networks

Azerbaijan's caravanserais, once pivotal nodes in the Silk Road trade network, are revealed as complex socioeconomic and cultural hubs that extended beyond mere resting stations. These structures, dating back to the 6th–3rd millennia BCE but peaking under Turkic rule during the medieval period, facilitated long-distance trade across Eurasia. The study highlights the strategic roles of Bukhara and Multani caravanserais in Baku's Old City (Icherisheher), linking merchants from Central Asia and India to broader Silk Road dynamics. Architectural analyses and archaeological evidence demonstrate continuity with earlier urban infrastructure, while comparisons with monuments in Central Asia and Anatolia underscore the transnational spread of Turkic architectural engineering under empires like the Seljuk, Timurid, and Safavid. The research also explores the geopolitical significance of these heritage sites today, linking medieval trade routes to contemporary initiatives such as TRACECA and the Zangezur Corridor, positioning Azerbaijan's caravanserai legacy as a living resource for regional cooperation among Turkic states.

Mustafayev, M. M. (2026). Caravanserais and the Silk Road system in Azerbaijan: from Medieval trade infrastructure to contemporary geopolitical networks. Turkic Studies Journal, 8(2), 36–53. https://doi.org/10.32523/2664-5157-2026-2-36-53