Caravanserais were roadside inns that were built along the Silk Road in areas including China, North Africa and the Middle East. They were typically outside the walls of a city or village and were usually funded by governments or .
This word "caravanserais" is a of the Persian word "kārvān", which means a group of travellers or a caravan, and "sarāy" , a palace or enclosed building. The term caravan was used to groups of people who travelled together across the ancient network for safety reasons, merchants, travellers or pillgrims.
From the 10th century onwards, as merchant and travel routes became more developed, the of the caravanserais increased and they served as a safe place for people to rest at night. Travellers on the Silk Road possibility of being attacked by thieves or being to extreme weather conditions. For this reason, caravanserais were strategically placed they could be reached in a day's travel time.
Caravanserais served as an informal point for the various people who travelled the Silk Road. , these structures became important centers for cultural and interaction, with travellers sharing their cultures, ideas and beliefs, taking knowledge with them, greatly the development of several civilisations.
Caravanserais were also an important marketplace for commodities and in the trade of goods along the Silk Road. , it was frequently the first stop for merchants looking to sell their wares and supplies for their own journeys. It is that around 12,000 to 15,000 caravanserais were built along the Silk Road, only about 3 , 000 are known to remain today, many of which are in .