Orbelian's Caravanserai is located on the Vardenyats mountain pass (formerly the Selim pass), on the boundary between Gegharkunik and Vayots Dzor provinces, at an altitude of about 2,410 m above sea level. It was built on a medieval road that connected Gegharkunik with Vayots Dzor and was one of the trade routes crossing the territory of Armenia.
Information about the caravanserai's construction has been preserved in the monument's own inscriptions. The Arabic-script Persian inscription in the vestibule and the Armenian inscription inside note that it was built by the prince of princes, Chesar Orbelian. The Armenian inscription gives the year 1332, considered the year construction was completed.
The caravanserai is built of gray, well-dressed basalt. It consists of three main parts — the main three-aisled hall, the vestibule on the eastern side, and a chapel adjoining it, the remains of which have survived. The structure's total length is about 35.5 meters.
The main hall is divided into three aisles by two rows of piers. Between the piers, stone mangers have survived, intended for the caravans' animals. At the end of the hall were two small rooms for travelers' rest. Lighting was provided by skylights opened in the middle vault.
One of the caravanserai's architectural features is the design of its entrance. On either side of the vestibule's entrance, relief carvings of animals have survived — a lion on the left, a bull on the right. These are symbols of the Orbelian princely house.
The caravanserai was restored in 1956–1959. Today it is considered one of the best-preserved examples of medieval Armenian civil architecture.
