Ancient caravanserai in the village of Karvansara

In the village of Karvansara, in the Yeni Bayazid district of the Yerevan province, now the Garanlig district

Garanlig district – Martuni, Karvansara village, was named Ijevan since 1935. It was abolished on 04.04.1946 and merged with the village of Medina (Lernakert).

Architecture

Since the caravanserai is an example of Azerbaijani history and architecture, it has not been repaired or restored. The remains of the caravanserai still remain on the site. It is presented as an "Armenian monument".

The ancient caravanserai is located in the village of Karvansara. Although at first glance the remains of the building in the village can be compared to the walls of a fortress, when you look closely at the foundation, you can clearly see the plan of a large caravanserai complex. The main features that distinguish these ancient monuments are their architectural solution and age difference. While the Argisht fortress dates back to the end of the first millennium BC and the beginning of the second millennium BC and has an oval shape, the building in the village of Karvansara has a strictly rectangular plan and resembles a closed complex consisting of circular rooms and stables, which is a fact that does not need additional proof that such an architectural solution dates back to the end of the first millennium AD. One of the most important points is that there is a clearly visible barrier between the remains of the caravanserai complex and the ruins of the hearths of the village of the same name.
It is located 10-12 km southeast of the district center, near the village of Medina, on the banks of the Ayrichay River. The name of the village is also mentioned in Armenian sources as Ayrichay Caravanserai and Ayricha Caravanserai.
On page 12 of the “Register of the Iravan Province” approved by Ahmad Shah Mehmet Khan oglu on April 12, 1728, the village was presented under the name Dilanchi and relevant notes were made that its annual tax to the sultan's treasury was determined in the amount of 6890 agcha. In 1831, the village was registered under the name “Karvansaray”. At that time, the village had a Turkish population of 168 people.
From the information in the book “The Population of Soviet Armenia in 100 Years: 1831-1931” prepared by the Armenian historian Z. Korkodyan with reference to official statistics, it is clear that this indicator increased to 205 people in 1886, 310 in 1897, 418 in 1904, and 623 in 1914. In 1918, Armenian Dashnak troops plundered and burned the village. Armenians were resettled to the village in 1928–1930.
By the decision of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated April 4, 1946, Caravansary was abolished as an administrative unit and merged with the village of Medina. The Azerbaijani population was deported in 1948–1953.

The caravanserai had an important place in the khanate as a place where merchants from local and foreign countries stayed and stored their goods in their warehouses. The toponym was formed on the basis of the word "caravanserai", which means "a building built on a trade route". It is a simple toponym formed on the basis of the relief.