Selim Caravanserai

The Selim Caravanserai is a 14th-century stone waystation on the road between Yeghegnadzor and Martuni (Lake Sevan). The building sits in open alpine terrain at the top of the pass, surrounded by the high meadows and rocky slopes of the Vardenis range. In good weather the setting is extraordinary — the caravanserai emerging from the hillside with views back down toward the Vayots Dzor valley.

The interior consists of a long vaulted hall divided into stalls along the sides, where animals would have been kept, with a central aisle for people. A smaller vaulted chamber at the far end served as a chapel. The quality of the stone cutting — done in situ with local volcanic tuff — is impressive for a remote mountain structure. The road over the Selim Pass is paved and manageable in a standard car from late spring to early autumn; winter closure is possible. Allow about 40 minutes from Yeghegnadzor.

things to do sight history day trip
A story
The Selim Caravanserai sits at 2,410 metres above sea level on the Selim Pass, the mountain crossing north of Yeghegnadzor, and is the best-preserved caravanserai in Armenia. It was built in 1332 by Chesar Orbelian as a waystation for merchants and pilgrims crossing the mountains on the Silk Road route between the Araxes valley and the north. The building is so intact that you can walk through the vaulted interior and see the stall divisions where horses and camels sheltered through mountain winters.