Funduqs were places for travelers and merchants to stay, as well as a place for them to store and sell their goods. These buildings served an important commercial purpose along the North African trade route. Typically funduqs are two-story structures with an arcade around a central courtyard. The interior courtyard served as a market, and may have been used to house animals at night. Funduqs were built with varying degrees of decoration, sometimes including a fountain, tile work, or monumental stairway.