One of the more challenging “ghost” photos I’ve had the pleasure of researching– and by “ghost” photo, I mean a photograph that floats around the internet, conveniently without any credit or information about the location or subject. The internet rumour was that “the hole” was originally caused by a rooftop bomb attack. As fascinating as that sounds for a backstory, it’s not the case. This extraordinary place is the Karvansaray Restaurant in the Baku old city of Azerbaijan, housed inside a 14th century caravasai, a Persian word combining ”kārvān (caravan) with sara (palace), essentially a traveler’s inn. The restaurant makes use of the open-air courtyard inside the walls of the enclosure which would have typically accommodated animals and also provided space for merchants to set up stalls and sell their goods to other traveling merchants. Even today, the space is a popular destination for travellers looking to experience the ‘local flavour’. Reviews are mixed on Trip Advisor, but if you’re ever in Azerbaijan, it’s probably worth a stop even just for a coffee in “the hole”!
More photos of the restaurant…
Additional photo sources: 1, 2, 3
