Caravanserai Gate
Turkmenistan is one of Central Asia’s most mysterious and unexplored areas, and the Caravanserai Gate fits right into this description. With the purpose of this structure unknown, it is said to have been the entrance to a caravanserai, which is defined as an inn with a central courtyard. It is also thought to potentially have been a part of a larger structure, such as a palace or madrassah.
Excavations have uncovered column footings regularly placed parallel to the gate entrance, suggesting the presence of a courtyard. The glazed majolica tiles on the structure remain in relatively good condition. Design techniques used to place these mosaic decorative pieces suggest that the time period of construction may have been in the 14th century, but the true dates are unknown.