Car­a­vanserais were wide­ly used in the east as places where car­a­vans of traders could stop for the night when mov­ing from one city to anoth­er. The active con­struc­tion of car­a­vanserais in Azer­bai­jan occurred in the Mid­dle Ages, when trade became one of the most impor­tant ways to earn mon­ey. The Upper and Low­er car­a­vanserais are the only She­ki car­a­vanserais that have reached us. They were built in the 17th cen­tu­ry, and the Upper one is still con­sid­ered the largest in the entire Tran­scau­ca­sia.