The Selim Caravanserai (Armenian: Սելիմ; also referred to as the Sulema Caravanserai) was built along the Selim Pass (2410 m) in 1332, by Prince Chesar Orbelianis. The purpose was to accommodate weary
travelers and their animals as they crossed from, or into, the Selim (Sulema) Mountains. Located at the south side of the Selim Pass, in the Vayots Dzor provence of Armenia, this is the best preserved caravanserai in the entire country. Ruins of a small chapel may still be seen adjacent to the vestibule, across the road from a spring. The only entrance to the caravanserai is at the rectangular vestibule adjacent to the main hall of the structure. It has a gabled stone shingle roof that rests on three arches. On the eastern side, these arches rest upon the edges of the windows. The southern wall of the vestibule and the entry wall façade are the few locations in the caravanserai where there is any ornamentation. The entry has decorations around the half-rounded lintel, with high-reliefs of a winged animal to the left, and a bull to the right, above the lintel. The only other decorations may be found on each of the oculi in the hall, which each have a unique design.
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