Ancient caravanserai unearthed in North Sinai along Egypt’s Historic Pilgrims’ Road
Nevine El-Aref , Tuesday 11 Aug 2026
Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of an ancient roadside caravanserai at the town of ‘Asila’ in North Sinai, offering new clues about the historic network of routes that once connected Egypt with the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula.
Archaeologists believe the structure served as a roadside station for commercial caravans, Egyptian pilgrims and other travellers using the Sultan’s Road, also known as the Egyptian Pilgrims’ Road.
The route was one of the region’s major historic arteries, facilitating the movement of pilgrims traveling to Mecca, as well as merchants, postal services and military forces between Egypt, the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula.
According to Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, excavations have revealed sections of walls built of mudbrick and red brick, with their foundations reinforced with large limestone blocks, a construction technique commonly used for major buildings during the Islamic periods.
The walls extend along the northern, eastern and southern sides of the site and contain architectural divisions indicating a number of rooms. Some of these may have functioned as shops attached to the caravanserai.
The layout bears similarities to Khan al-Khwaynat, another important commercial station in North Sinai, although the ‘Asila’ structure is considerably smaller. El- Leithy said the comparison strengthens the possibility that it served as a stopping point for pilgrims and merchants traveling along the Sultan’s Road.
The site is located near several other historic stations, including Al-Khwaynat, ‘Amuriya and Qatiya, placing ‘Asila’ within a broader network of settlements and service stations that supported travel, trade and pilgrimage across Sinai.
Diaa Zahran, Head of the Islamic, Coptic and Jewish Antiquities Sector, explained that excavations have also yielded a range of pottery and other artifacts that provide a glimpse into everyday life at the site.
He continued that among the finds are large pottery vessels apparently used to store water and provisions, olive-green glazed vessels, red-and-white pottery, and fragments of lamps used for lighting.
“The finds reinforce the importance of the site for understanding Sinai’s role as a major corridor between Egypt and the eastern Arab world,” Zahran asserted
Mission directors Mohamed Khalil and Saddam Hussein said the artefacts discovered so far point to a Mamluk-period date. Particularly significant are olive-green glazed vessels characteristic of the period, along with fragments of glazed pottery featuring decorative elements that may be associated with the reign of Sultan Al-Nasir Mohamed Ibn Qalawun during the Bahri Mamluk era.
Some artefacts also bear Arabic letters that may form part of the name “Al-Nasir.” Archaeologists caution, however, that further study and analysis will be needed before a precise date and function can be established.
The Sultan’s Road, or Egyptian Pilgrims’ Road, was for centuries a vital route linking Egypt with the wider Islamic World. Beyond its role in facilitating pilgrimage to Mecca, it carried commercial caravans and served networks of communication, postal services and military movement.
The route eventually fell out of use amid major political and military changes in the region, including the Crusader threat in the East during the 11th century AD. The pilgrimage route was subsequently redirected southward through Aydhab and Jeddah.
Excavations at ‘Asila’ continue in an effort to uncover additional architectural remains and associated structures. Further discoveries could help confirm the building’s function as a caravanserai and provide a clearer picture of how travelers, pilgrims and caravans were accommodated along one of Egypt’s most important historic routes.
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