Orbelian's Caravanserai
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Orbelian's Caravanserai ( hy, Օրբելյանների Քարվանսարա; also known as Sulema Caravanserai and Selim Caravanserai, hy, Սելիմ), is a
caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...
in the
Vayots Dzor Province Vayots Dzor ( hy, Վայոց Ձոր, ) is a province (''marz'') of Armenia. It lies at the southeastern end of the country, bordering the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan to the west and the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan to the east. It cover ...
of
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
. It was built along the Vardenyats Mountain Pass (also known as the Selim Mountain Pass) in 1332, by prince Chesar Orbelian to accommodate weary travelers and their animals as they crossed from, or into, the mountainous Vayots Dzor region. Located at the southern side of Vardenyats Mountain Pass at a height of above sea level, Orbelian's Caravanserai is the best preserved caravanserai in the entire country.


Architecture

The only entrance to the caravanserai is at the rectangular vestibule adjacent to the main hall of the structure. It has a
gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
d stone shingle roof that rests on three arches. On the eastern side, these arches rest upon the edges of the windows. The southern wall of the vestibule and the entry wall façade are the few locations in the caravanserai where there is any ornamentation. The entry has decorations around the half-rounded
lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...
, with
high-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
s of a winged animal to the left, and a bull to the right, above the lintel. The only other decorations may be found around each of the
oculi An oculus (; ) is a circular opening in the center of a dome or in a wall. Originating in antiquity, it is a feature of Byzantine and Neoclassical architecture. It is also known as an '' œil-de-boeuf'' from the French, or simply a "bull's- ...
in the hall, which each have a unique design. There are two inscriptions found on the vestibule, one is written in
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
and the other is written in
Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
. The Persian inscription written upon the half-rounded lintel of the entrance has nearly been effaced by vandals, but the Armenian inscription found at the eastern interior wall, just past the entrance to the upper right is legible and reads the following: The caravanserai is constructed of blocks of
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
. It has a single hall divided into three naves, with seven pairs of polyhedral pillars. Animals rested in the narrow aisles to the left and right of the main hall. Between the pillars were stone troughs for the animals, and in the corner of one of the halls was a pool of water. Travelers slept in a separate room built at the end of the narrow aisles on the western side of the caravanserai. The roof above the three-aisled hall had three parallel vaults with an oculus in each. The vaults were supported by arches that stretched from pillar to pillar along the aisles, and traversed from the pillars to the walls. Oculi placed in the middle of each of the vaults served the purpose of letting in sunlight and fresh air, while also letting out smoke. As mentioned earlier, these are the only other areas of the caravanserai that have ornamentation besides the decoration found at the entry vestibule. The caravanserai was restored during the years 1956–1959. The ruins of a structure east of the vestibule was formerly believed to be a church. This identification was disproved by archaeological excavations in 2014, although evidence on this building's actual purpose was inconclusive.Astghik Babajanyan, Artavazd Zaqyan, "Results of the archaeological excavations of the Selim Caravanserai", VEM Journal, 2014. (English summary


Gallery

Image:Selim Caravanserai 1.jpg, Orbelian's Caravanserai as seen from the front Image:Selim Caravanserai 2.jpg, High-relief of a winged animal to the left above the front entry Image:Selim Caravanserai 3.jpg, High-relief of a bull to the right above the front entry Image:Selim Oculi.JPG, View of an oculus from on top of the roof Image:Selim Pass Caravanserai (5127896201).jpg, Orbelian's Caravanserai Image:Selim Rear.JPG, View from the rear Image:Selim Caravanserai2.jpg, Interior hall Image:Selim Caravanserai3.jpg, Interior hall


See Also

List of caravanserais in Armenia This is a list of caravanserais in Armenia. Caravanserais See also * List of castles in Armenia * List of monasteries in Armenia References {{reflist Caravanserais * Caravanserais A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadsi ...


References


External links

{{commons category, Selim Caravanserai
Armeniapedia.org: Selim Caravanserai

About Selim caravanserai
Caravanserais in Armenia Tourist attractions in Vayots Dzor Province Buildings and structures completed in 1332 Buildings and structures in Vayots Dzor Province