If travelers faced peril on the Silk Roads, they also found places of rest and refreshment, known as caravanserai. Located periodically along the Silk Roads and often protected by powerful rulers, they provided lodging for merchants and their servants, warehouses for their goods, shelter and food for their animals in an open courtyard, medical help for the sick, and opportunities for trade in the bazaars. Source 7.3, a sixth-century painting also from the Magao Caves, shows a caravan finding accommodations in such a place. Providing these services, including wells and bridges, was one way for wealthy Buddhist patrons to gain merit.

Questions to consider as you examine the source:

A Stop at a Caravanserai