Selim Caravanserai at Vardenyats Pass: Basalt Waystay of the Silk Road at 2,410 Meters

The Selim Caravanserai lies on the southern slope of the Vardenyats Pass (also called Selim Pass) in Vayots Dzor province, somewhat below the pass summit at 2,410 meters. From outside, the structure appears low and compact: a 41-meter-long ridge of dark basalt blocks, nestled into the slope, with a single portal on the south side. All around stretches treeless highland steppe, covered by snow from late autumn onward. When you pass through the gate, you enter a cool, dim hall lit only by circular openings in the ceiling.

Location and first impression

Built in 1332 by Tschesar Orbelian, son of Prince Liparit, together with his brothers Burtel, Smbat and Elikum, and his wife Khorishah. The structure is made of basalt and measures 41 meters in length. The interior forms a single hall divided by seven pairs of pillars into three aisles; three parallel barrel vaults support the roof, circular openings provide light and air. Between the pillars lie stone troughs for animals, and on the west side a separate room for travelers. Three inscriptions survive: an Armenian one on the east wall, plus remains of Persian and Arabic inscriptions at the entrance. Above the lintel sit two reliefs: on the left a winged creature, on the right a bull. Location: 39.9495 N, 45.23667 E. Best travel season: June to October.

History on the Dvin–Partav trade route

The caravanserai stood on the medieval trade route between Dvin and Partav, a section of the network linking southern Caucasus with Lake Sevan and beyond. Here merchants rested with their camel and mule caravans, found shelter from weather and cold, and could feed and water their animals. The patron was the Orbelian princely house, which ruled Vayots Dzor at the time; the portal reliefs bear the dynasty's heraldic marks. In the 15th and 16th centuries the building fell into ruin as trade routes lost their importance. Between 1956 and 1959 it was restored and today ranks among Armenia's best-preserved caravanserais. An archaeological survey in 2014 refuted the earlier assumption that a church had stood beside the structure.

Legend & myth

This place has not preserved a distinct legendary figure. What is instructive instead is the Armenian building inscription itself: According to tradition, the Orbelian brothers erected the house in 1332 explicitly 'for the salvation of their souls' and those of their family — the waystop was thus conceived as a pious endowment, not merely as a utilitarian building. The two reliefs above the portal, the winged creature and the bull, are connected with the dynasty's visual language; their precise meaning remains unclear.

Why the visit matters

Few medieval secular structures of the Silk Road survive as completely as this one. You step into a substantially original stone hall from 1332 in which the principle of a caravanserai is immediately readable: the animal troughs, the ceiling light openings, the separate human quarters. Add the elevation at 2,410 meters with the view across open highland steppe. Once you have seen the dated inscription on the east wall and the reliefs above the portal yourself, you grasp the history of this trade route more concretely than any description could convey.

Practical information

Reach via the paved Vardenyats/Selim Pass road; the building sits directly on the road just below the pass summit. Nearest towns are Selim and Yeghegis. Best season is June through October — the pass closes in winter. The interior is cool and dim; a flashlight helps reveal the inscriptions and reliefs. Sturdy shoes are wise, as the floor is uneven. At altitude, wind is frequent and weather changes rapidly; bring a windproof jacket. There is no supply on site; plan your own water and provisions.