Caravanserai is a kind of building popular in the Middle East and Central Asia designed for caravans, merchants and travelers. It usually had a spacious courtyard with a well, utility rooms and roofed rooms as well as special niches, where the luggage was stored and camels were left for the night. Inns of this type were built in the Middle Ages by the main trade routes. They were usually situated outside the city walls and in some cases they also served a defensive function. Some caravanserais survived till modern times and are a tourist attraction.
