Tash-rabat and the baetov region of kyrgyzstan
All the information you need to discover the Tash-Rabat caravanserai and the Baetov region
From deserted ravines to lush green meadows, from high rocky cliffs to sparkling glaciers, the Baetov region abounds in landscapes each more astonishing than the last. The region is also home to the famous Tash-Rabat caravanserai, an exceptional testimony to the history of the Silk Road.
In this article, we give you a few tips for discovering the region:
- If you’re planning a trip to Kyrgyzstan by van, 4×4, motorcycle or bicycle, our book EXPLORE KYRGYZSTAN will be a great help.
- If you’d like to rent a vehicle (4×4, van, motorcycle or bicycle) in Kyrgyzstan, here are our recommendations.
Hello! We’re Olivia & Victor, authors of the OunTravela guides.
Over the years, our passion for adventure has led us to create original travel guides sold in over 70 countries worldwide. Our mission is to spread a travel philosophy based on adventure, freedom, improvisation and exploration. Our guides inspire travellers to explore the world’s forgotten paths, encountering wilderness and civilization.
We hope you find this article, based on our own experience, useful.
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The Silk Road
For over a thousand years, the Silk Road was a network of trade routes from China to the Mediterranean. Bringing together very different civilizations, this network of land and sea routes enabled not only trade, but also philosophical, religious, scientific, cultural, artistic and technical exchanges. Chinese silk was just one of the goods that passed through the mythical cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, along with spices, carpets, furs, horses, weapons, glassware and more. Long and tiring, the merchants’ routes varied according to natural hazards and local conditions. They had to cross the fearsome Gobi and Taklamakan deserts, survive attacks by nomadic horsemen or cross the Celestial Mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Each route was punctuated by relay stations and caravanserais where merchants could refuel, rest and trade their wares. One of these caravanserais has stood the test of time and can be visited in southern Kyrgyzstan: the Tash-Rabat caravanserai.
The Tash-Rabat caravanserai
Along the road between Naryn and the Torugart Pass (3,752 m) on the Chinese border, a small track winds its way towards the At-Bashi Mountains in a narrow valley with splendid jagged rock faces. On the slopes of the valley, at an altitude of 3,500 m, stands the sumptuous caravanserai of Tash-Rabat. This historic monument, which dates back to the 15th century, welcomed a multitude of merchants and travellers along the Silk Road. Thewell-preserved stone building houses a network of small rooms that served as bedrooms, prison cells, pantries and prayer halls. Admission to the caravanserai is charged at 50 soms per person. The caravanserai is surrounded by a yurt camp for visiting tourists.
The area around Tash-Rabat is ideal for hiking and horse-riding. There are 1- to 5-day itineraries across the At-Bashi mountain range to Lake Chatyr-Kul. The surrounding area is magnificent, especially the Tash-Rabat pass at 3,964 m, with its superb views over the great Chatyr-Kul lake. A border permit is required to use the hiking trails leading down to the lake. Don’t hesitate to ask at the various yurt camps about possible itineraries.
Lake Chatyr-Kul
Largely ignored by tourists, due to its remoteness and the need to obtain a border permit to visit it, this salt lake is nevertheless an unspoilt, wild place well worth a visit. Accessible by a day’s ride on foot or horseback from Tash-Rabat, you may be lucky enough to spot rare migratory birds such as the bar-headed goose or the damselfly crane. Starting from Kyzyl-Tuu (a village 75 km west of Naryn), a 3-day horseback ride through the At-Bashi mountains leads to the Chatyr-Kul lake and ends with the Tash-Rabat caravanserai. Information on this tour is available from Naryn agencies.