caravan | desert transport - Encyclopedia Britannica

caravan, a group of merchants, pilgrims, or travelers journeying together, usually for mutual protection in deserts or other hostile regions. caravan TableofContents Introduction FastFacts RelatedContent Media Videos Images More MoreArticlesOnThisTopic Contributors ArticleHistory Home Technology Cars&OtherVehicles caravan deserttransport Print Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. SelectCitationStyle MLA APA ChicagoManualofStyle CopyCitation Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/caravan-desert-transport More GiveFeedback ExternalWebsites Feedback Corrections?Updates?Omissions?Letusknowifyouhavesuggestionstoimprovethisarticle(requireslogin). FeedbackType Selectatype(Required) FactualCorrection Spelling/GrammarCorrection LinkCorrection AdditionalInformation Other YourFeedback SubmitFeedback Thankyouforyourfeedback Oureditorswillreviewwhatyou’vesubmittedanddeterminewhethertorevisethearticle. JoinBritannica'sPublishingPartnerProgramandourcommunityofexpertstogainaglobalaudienceforyourwork! ExternalWebsites EncyclopaediaIranica-Caravan BritannicaWebsites ArticlesfromBritannicaEncyclopediasforelementaryandhighschoolstudents. caravan-StudentEncyclopedia(Ages11andup) By TheEditorsofEncyclopaediaBritannica • EditHistory camelcaravanintheSahara Seeallmedia RelatedTopics: animaltransportation ...(Showmore) Seeallrelatedcontent→ caravan,agroupofmerchants,pilgrims,ortravelersjourneyingtogether,usuallyformutualprotectionindesertsorotherhostileregions.InthedesertsofAsiaandnorthernAfrica,theanimalmostcommonlyusedincaravanswasthecamel,becauseofitscatholicappetite,itsabilitytogowithoutwaterforseveraldays,anditsloadingcapacity.Insomeareasthecamelwasharnessedtoacart(aswasthecaseintheteatradebetweenKalganinChinaandKyakhtainMongolia),butusuallytheloadwasdividedintotwopartsandsecuredoneithersideofthecamel’sback.Inhotweather,onalongjourney,acamelcharacteristicallycarriedabout350pounds(160kg);but,onshorterjourneys,incoolerweather,orinordertoevadecustomsduties,theanimal’sloadmightbeincreasedto1,000pounds.Passengerswerecarriedinpanniersslungoneoneachsideofthecamel.Thesizeofthecaravanwasdependentupontheamountoftraffic,theinsecurityoftheroute,andtheavailabilityofcamels.Thelargestrecordedcaravanswerethoseforspecialpurposes,suchastheMuslimpilgrimcaravansfromCairoandDamascustoMecca,whichmightincludeover10,000camels,orthetrans-SaharansaltcaravansfromTaoudennitoTimbuktuorBilmaorAïr.Eveninitsdeclinein1908thislattercaravannumbered20,000camels.Ropes,passedthroughthenoseringandtiedtothesaddleofthecamelinfront,wereusedtofastenthecamelstogetherinstringsofupto40.Threeorfourstringsmighttravelabreast,aswasusualwithnomaddrivers,orthewholecaravanmighttravelinonelongline,asinsomeChinesecaravans.Thetimingofcaravanswasgovernedbytheavailabilityofwaterandpastureor,inthecaseoftheMuslimpilgrimcaravans,bytheneedtobeinMeccaonthe8thdayofthemonthofDhūal-Ḥijjah.ConsequentlytheOrenburgcaravanleftBukharaafterthemeltingoftheRussianwintersnows,andtheBasracaravanleftAleppoaftertheMiddleEasternrainsoflateautumn.Inprogress,acaravanaveraged2–3miles(3–5km)perhourfor8to14hourseachdayor,inhotweather,eachnight.Ifpossible,itwasarrangedtostopatacaravansary,whichusuallyconsistedofacourtyard,surroundedonallsidesbyanumberofsmallroomsonanelevation,withstablesorstoreroomsunderneath.AlthoughtheopeningofthesearoutesfromEuropetotheEastwaspartlyresponsibleforthedeclineofcertainroutes(suchasthegreatSilkRoadfromChinatotheMediterranean),severalimportantcaravanroutesyetflourisheduntilthe19thcentury,whenroadandrailtransportandtheabolitionoftheslavetraderesultedlargelyintheirdemise.Somelocalcaravansstillsurviveintheabsenceofalternativetransport,andcertainothersbecauseofsomeparticularappealoradvantage.SomeoftheMuslimpilgrimcaravanscontinue,forexample,becauseitisregardedasmoremeritorioustotravelthehardtraditionalroute. ThisarticlewasmostrecentlyrevisedandupdatedbyChelseyParrott-Sheffer.