Name the person who invented the caravan?

Answer 1

Caravans go back hundreds of years and were vehicles drawn by horses and used by travellers and merchants. The first caravan built purely for leisure was the "Wanderer" built in 1880 for Dr Gordon-Stables by the Bristol Carriage Company.




A Different Perspective

Caravan travel in the Middle East goes back thousands of years when groups of merchants, travelers or producers of certain products banded together for protection and mutual assistance. The origins of caravan travel goes as far back as recorded history and was already well developed prior to the beginning of travel by sea. Caravans enabled trade in the ancient world.

Hard to find items such as spices, oils, textiles, jewels, perfumes, rare woods, hand made objects and jewelry had to be transported over long distances. The need for security made the caravan the perfect mode of travel. Camels were the main carriers of goods because they could travel long distances without water and could carry heavy loads.

A caravan could be as long as three miles. Its leader had a huge task of managing the goods, people and 2-3 thousand camels. He had absolute control over the voyage and responsibility for its safety. He required intimate knowledge of the desert and its shifting landmarks. The caravan leaders negotiated protection agreements with the nomadic tribes along the way and paid a bounty. In return the nomads would purchase caravan goods. Some people spent their entire lives traveling back and forth on a caravan.