Azeri men sit in a former caravanserai, or caravan house, outside the Tabriz Bazaar in Tabriz, Iran. Caravanserais were used as resting places for merchants and their camels as they traveled along the Silk Road. A tour guide said these “houses” were located every 36 kilometers along the Silk Road routes. According to him, the Tabriz Bazaar became an important stop along the Silk Road in the 11th century. Today, the former caravanserai serves as a shopping center.
