Caravanserais were roadside inns that were built along the Silk Road in areas including China, North Africa and the Middle East. They were typically ____ 1  ___   outside the walls of a city or village and were usually funded by governments or __2___ .

This word "Caravanserais" is a _3_____of the Persian word "karvan", which means a group of travellers or a caravan, and seray, a palace or enclosed building. The Perm caravan was used to ___4_____   groups of people who travelled together across the ancient network for safety reasons, ____5_____ merchants, travellers or pilgrims.

 From the 10th century onwards, as merchant and travel routes become more developed, the ___6____  of the Caravanserais increased and they served as a safe place for people to rest at night. Travellers on the Silk Road ___7____  possibility of being attacked by thieves or being  ___8___   to extreme conditions. For this reason, Caravanserais were strategically placed ___9____ they could be reached in a day's travel time.

Caravanserais served as an informal    ___10_____    point for the various people who travelled the Silk Road.  ___11_____   , those structures became important centers for culture   ___12_____    and interaction, with travelers sharing their cultures, ideas and beliefs,    ___13______    talking knowledge with them, greatly ____14____ the development of several civilizations.

Caravanserais were also an important marketplace for commodities and   ___15_____   in the trade of goods along the Silk Road.    _____16______    , it was frequently the first stop merchants looking to sell their wares and    _____17____  supplies for their own journeys. It is    ___18_____   that around 120, 000 to 15, 000 caravanserais were built along the Silk Road,  ___19____  only about 3000 are known to remain today, many of which are in ___20____.