Tash Rabat

40.81111111111175.286388888889Koordinaten: 40 ° 48 ' 40 "N, 75 ° 17 ' 11 " O

Tash Rabat ( Kyrgyz: Таш Рабат ) is a well-preserved former, dating from the 15th century caravanserai in the District At- Bashi in the province ( oblast) of Naryn in the Kyrgyz Republic in Central Asia. The name means " Stone Inn".

Location

Tash Rabat is located in the Tian Shan mountain range, the " Heavenly Mountains", at about 3500 m above sea level about 15 km south and east of the road A365, which for the development of a branch of the Silk Route from the 80 km distant provincial capital of Naryn 3752 m high Torugart pass leads to the Kyrgyz- Chinese border, in one of the mountain river Tash Rabat, a tributary of the Kara- Koyun, carrying tributary. It is reached by a dirt road following the valley. With a little luck you can meet grazing on the pastures in the valley yaks.

About 20 km to the south, on the other side of a high mountain range, lies the mountain lake Chatyr -Kul.

The construction

The stone- quarry stone, single storey and fortress-like building is partially built in the shallow here mountainside, and there should have been at the side of the slope one or more escape tunnel. Inside, the building in several, partially interconnected rooms and chambers divided that. Around a central hallway and an adjoining, vaulted dome of a former prayer room are grouped In the middle of the valley facing side of the rectangular complex is the only entrance is through an arched portal in a massive, projecting gatehouse, which (except for the dome ) towers over the rest of the system. At both corners of the valley side are round, the main building only marginally superior towers. The flat roof is surrounded by a nearly chest-high wall.

History

It is said that the caravanserai was built on the site or on the basis of the former, built by Christ in the 9th or 10th century Nestorian monastery, as with Christian merchants also their religion along the Silk Road to the Uyghur in today's Xinjiang was spreading, but was almost completely destroyed under Timur ( Tamerlane ) and the Timurids in the 14th century in Central Asia. According to another version, it is said to have originally traded to a Buddhist monastery.

Because of its proximity to a branch of the Silk Road, the place was then used after the sinking of the monastery as a caravanserai. She was a stopping point and refuge against snow storms and bandits for caravans and travelers between Kashgar in Xinjiang on the one hand and the Issyk Kul lake in Kyrgyzstan and the Ferghana Valley on the other.

Today Tash Rabat is a tourist attraction. In the immediate vicinity you can stay in one of the neighboring yurt camps.

Special

Tash Rabat is depicted on the back of the 20 -Som - bill of the 2009 series of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.