Caravanserai

A medieval inn with a central courtyard which served as a waystation for caravans travelling the Jade Route (Silk Road). The well-preserved remains of such an inn, known as Tash Rabat, still stands today though it is located north of Chatyr Kul Lake (15km) and the Torugart Pass (30km, straight-line distance). Its 31 dome-shaped rooms allowed traveling merchants and their entourage to rest and tend to their horses and camels. The structure was built from local stone and is dated to the 15th century, though some historians believe it had an earlier existence as a Christian or Buddhist monastery.