Tash Rabat

The view of the Caravanserai and the mountain opposite it. Tash Rabat after a snowfall.
More pictures here.


There are some 4-5 posts in a row I just put up. I brought the laptop this time as I was in a town.

The mountains between Kyrgyzstan and China where Tash-Rabat sits are tall. The start from a high elevation and get taller and bigger. It was clear that this place is a shade apart from the rest of Kyrgyzstan when I spotted the first herd of yaks. Everywhere else is cows, horses and sheep. These highlands are home to horses and yaks.

Tash-Rabat is a recently restored caravanserai (rest point for travelers). It dates to about the 10^th century, back when Buddha was all the rage and Muhammed’s followers were still struggling to set up shop. It survived the centuries in relatively good order because it lies some 15km off of the main pass from Kashgar tucked into a modest mountain-rimmed tributary valley.

From the outside, it doesn’t look very big but inside there are more than a dozen rooms and it could easily sleep 150 men. There are rooms set aside for sleeping, gathering, cooking and even a few pits more that 3 meters deep to serve as dungeons. The central room has a high dome and some of the old finish work has yet to crumble off the side of the walls.

The caravanserai now attracts many visitors during the summer. It is one of the best-preserved caravanserai and is located in a pretty location. It is highly attractive to travelers who like to get off the beaten path.