The first caravanserais were reported 2,500 years ago, when Persia was ruled by the Achaemenid Empire.[citation needed] During the Safavid period in Iran, caravanserais were established at convenient sites at a distance of every 20 to 30 miles along the trade routes across the country. Many such buildings were built on old and new caravan routes under the direction of Shah Abbas I (1587–1629) and Shah Abbas II (1642–66). The caravanserai is one of the 999 such hostels built to promote trade. An entry fee was charged along with a daily fee for an 8 ft-square room. The rooms were fitted with a fireplace, and servants had a separate place in which to stay. The caretaker of the caravanserai was legally authorized to collect sales tax and oversee all transactions; they sometimes tended to overcharge and cheat the merchants. It was incumbent on the caretakers to provide security to the merchants and their goods against theft. The running of the caravanserais in Iran was considered at par with those that were run during the Ottoman Empire.[1]