Orbelian Caravanserial (Panorama by 360° Stories)
The Silk Road, a medieval commercial trading route that merchants, traders and explorers used to trade their goods, crisscrossed ancient Armenia. Caravanserais, like the one you see here, provided resting and short-term living quarters for tired travelers on the Silk Road and their animals.
Orbelian Caravanserai
Historical Attractions
Built of basalt blocks in 1326-1327 and later expanded in 1332, the Orbelian Caravanserai features a large cavernous central hall with two vaulted side aisles. Imagine the sights and sounds the mixture of animals and humans would have made in this long, dark hall.
The site was destroyed in the 17th century, but was later restored in the Soviet era and constitutes one of the best-preserved examples of caravanserais in Armenia.
Take a look
Before you enter the caravanserai, take a look at the lintel above the door for a Persian inscription that dates the structure to 1326-1327. As you enter, notice an Armenian inscription to the
right of the door. Medieval inscriptions, such as this one, were popular ways for benefactors of structures to showcase their power and wealth. This inscription announces that Prince Chesar Orbelian and his family built (most likely rebuilt) this structure in 1332 during the reign of Abu Said II Khan, a khanate that ruled the southwestern region of the Mongol Empire. Armenian princes and kings often had to answer to other large regional empires, and inscriptions like this allowed Armenian rulers to negotiate their power with those of encroaching kingdoms.