Beside the road at the top of the pass, a squat building of dark basalt sits low in the grass, and it is one of the best-preserved caravanserais in Armenia. The Orbelian Caravanserai was built in 1332 by Prince Chesar Orbelian, who ruled the region, to give shelter to merchants crossing the mountains on the Silk Road. An inscription over the door records the date and the builder, in the Armenian of a prince who knew the value of being remembered. Travellers paid nothing, and the prince's purpose was as much pious as commercial.
Inside, the building is more impressive than the outside suggests. A low entrance leads into a long hall with three aisles, divided by rows of pillars supporting a vaulted ceiling, and a small opening in the roof lets in daylight and lets out smoke. Stone mangers line the walls for animals, and raised platforms were used as sleeping places for the people. The atmosphere is cool, dim and a little eerie, and it is easy to imagine camels, mules and merchants huddled here against the snow. Water drips from the roof after rain, and the smell is of old stone and damp earth.
It was a place of safety on a dangerous crossing. The pass is high, cold and storm-prone, and before roads were built, travellers could be trapped here for days. In bad weather, a caravanserai could mean the difference between life and death. Most such buildings along the Silk Road have been ruined or lost, but this one survived, and it has been carefully looked after ever since.
Outside, the ground is open and rolling, and on a clear day you can see far across the mountains. Some visitors picnic by the walls, and sheep graze the slopes nearby. The air is thin, and a brisk wind blows nearly always, so a windproof layer is wise. Do not count on any stall being open.
Yeghegis and Shatin, about thirteen kilometres away in the valley, offer simple shops, and Karanlukh, eighteen kilometres on, has fuel and more choice. Bring your own water and food, and make sure the tank is full before the climb. A torch is useful in the dark interior.