Aruch Caravansarai

Aruch Caravansarai
General information
Town or city	Aruch
Country	Armenia
Coordinates	40°18′15″N44°04′38″E / 40.30411°N 44.07723°E / 40.30411; 44.07723
Year(s) built	13th century
Renovated	1960
Technical details
Material	Stone
Size	450 m2

The Aruch Caravansarai is a 13th century caravansarai near Aruch, Armenia. ^[1] The site is a protected momument.

Description

According to historian Antony Eastmond, the existence of a caravansarai in Aruch dates to the period of the Zakarid dynasty, during which time the Zakarids built a network of Seljuk-inspired caravansarais to draw trade towards Ani. ^[2] Talin and Chrplu fell into this network alongside Aruch. Historian Anthony Bale described the current structure in Aruch as "beautiful" and built around a central hall where the animals could have been kept. He contrasted this caravansarai with more elaborate examples that accommodate human travelers on higher floors. ^[3] Other elements of the structure include a single southern entrance, buttressed walls, and arches. ^[4] Travel writers suggest that the Aruch caravansarai is possibly the most visible in Armenia given its prominent position near the M1 (Armenia)  [ de ] highway. ^[1]

Architecture

• 
  Round buttresses
• 
  Interior arches
• 
  Entryway

See also

• List of caravanserais in Armenia
• List of caravanserais

References

1. Allen, Tom; Holding, Deirdre (2023). Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 199. ISBN   9781784779436.
2. Eastmond, Antony (2017). Tamta's World: The Life and Encounters of a Medieval Noblewoman from the Middle East to Mongolia. Cambridge University Press. p. 168. ISBN   9781107167568.
3. Bale, Anthony (2024). "10. On the Silk Roads". A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages: The World Through Medieval Eyes. W. W. Norton. ISBN   9781324064589.
4. Ferdinandi, Sergio (2022). "The Archaeological Mission of Aruch/Արուճ and the Incastellamento of the Silk Road: Preliminary Remarks". East and West. 3 (62). ISSN   0012-8376.