Akcha-Kala – the luxury hotel of the middle Ages

There were special guesthouses to rest and protect merchant caravans at distances of 30-40 kilometres on all the routes of the Great Silk Road from the Mediterranean to China in the middle Ages. Deep walls and powerful bastions protect buildings. They were built in a way that the caravan can reach the next at night if they leave one resting post in the morning. There were even special directories indicating the location of road hotels on the way. Their most common name is the caravanserai. Sometimes they were included in the strengthening of military detachments. Urban buildings of the caravanserais had no use for defence and were placed near the bazaars - at the key points of the cities. One of them is Akcha-kala caravanserai (second half of the XI c.) situated on the ancient road from Merv to Amul, approximately 8 km to the northeast of Merv.

The chain of caravanserais is situated on the terrain in full accordance with the instructions of the medieval road guides, among them are the famous for road guides with the ruins of a caravanserai, similar to the castle-kyoshk, stands out. It is located in the middle of a vast takyr (desert). This is a square earthen building with corrugated facades on a high platform with nine domed rooms of the upper floor. It is the largest caravanserai of the 11th century in Central Asia, known as Akcha-Kala.

The only entrance to it was decorated in the form of a monumental portal, and the main facade was entirely decorated with semi-circular corrugations. At the corners - square bastions. This comfortable "hotel" has two courtyards. The first, more extensive, is surrounded by two rows of galleries intended for animals and goods. To the left and right of the entrance were spacious domed common areas for common use.

The second smaller courtyard with vaulted aivans (living rooms), open galleries and hujrah (cell like) living rooms - behind them. There was a special prayer room with a mihrab. Most of the numerous rooms and halls had vaulted ceilings. This once luxurious caravanserai is a unique monument for Central Asia. Academicians date majestic ruins of Akcha-Kala to the 11th century.