Tash-Rabat: a stone caravanserai high on the Silk Road

At a glance

• Where: At-Bashy district of Naryn region, southern Kyrgyzstan, about 110–125 km from Naryn town.
• How long: one night in the valley, usually on the way between Naryn and Song-Kul.
• Best time: June to September, when the yurt camps are open.
• Altitude: about 3,200 m.

Interesting facts

• Tash-Rabat means "stone fortress" or "stone inn". It has 31 rooms around a central domed hall, built of rough stone into the slope of the valley.
• Its age is still debated. Most historians date it to the 15th century, but some Kyrgyz scholars have argued that it began as a Christian monastery as early as the 10th century.
• The caravanserai stood on a branch of the Silk Road that crossed the Torugart pass, 3,752 m, towards Kashgar in China, about 90 km further south.
• Above the valley lies Chatyr-Kul, a high lake at 3,530 m that is protected as a Ramsar wetland.

Visiting

Inside, a dim corridor leads to small vaulted rooms where merchants, their goods and their animals once sheltered from storms and bandits; light falls through openings in the domes. Outside, the valley is grazing land, with yaks and horses on the slopes and a few yurt camps near the river.

With a night here you can walk or ride up towards the ridge for a view over Chatyr-Kul, then come back for dinner in the camp. Many travellers say the silence is what they remember most.

Important notes

• Remote: the nearest shops and ATMs are in Naryn or At-Bashy. Bring cash for the entrance fee and the camp.
• Altitude and cold: nights at 3,200 m are cold all year, and snow can fall in any month.
• Border zone: the road beyond Tash-Rabat towards Torugart is a border area; travel there only with the right permits.
• Facilities: camps are simple, with solar power and outdoor toilets.

What to bring

• Warm clothes for the evening: a down jacket, hat and gloves.
• A headlamp for the dark rooms of the caravanserai and the camp at night.
• Sunscreen and sunglasses.
• A power bank.

Tash-Rabat is on our 9-day tour with Song-Kul and Tash-Rabat and our 10-day full tours.