The Zeynoddin caravanserai is a round, mud-brick fortress in the desert between Yazd and Kerman, built in the sixteenth century in the Safavid era on one of the old caravan routes of central Iran. Its walls curve like a drum, with two storeys of arched cells around a courtyard and towers on the outside, and the whole thing the colour of the sand it stands on. Travellers on this road, merchants with camels carrying silk, spices and carpets, would stop here for the night, because the next water and shade was a long way off. It is one of the caravanserais listed by UNESCO in 2023, and it has been restored so that visitors can sleep inside, in the same cells where traders once stabled their animals.
The land around is the edge of the Dasht-e Kavir, a very dry plateau where gravel plains and low brown hills extend to the horizon, and the sky is a hard blue. Days are hot, nights cold, and a clear evening shows more stars than you have seen in years. Mahriz, a small town some thirty kilometres away, is the nearest settlement, and Yazd, a famous desert city of wind towers and mud-brick lanes, lies to the north-west. The Persian qanat system, an underground channel network that brings water from the mountains, made life possible here.
For riders, the desert roads are long, straight and quiet, with slow curves over low passes and a lot of empty space. Surfaces are generally good on the main roads, but trucks are heavy, and the wind picks up sand and dust that may reduce visibility. Take plenty of water, sun protection and a spare layer for the nights. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, because midsummer reaches high forties and winter nights are freezing. Distances are great and services scarce, so fill the tank whenever you can.
Fuel is available in Mahriz and on the main highways, but check before heading off the main road. The caravanserai can serve a simple meal, and tea is always offered. Travel in Iran has its own rules and complications for visitors, and a motorcycle brings more, so check the conditions before you plan. If you get here, the evening sit in the courtyard, with the stone cooling and tea in your hand, is the point of the trip.