In the 1600s, the Ottomans tightly control the province of Syria (which includes the modern states of Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon) because of its important pilgrimage routes and wealthy tax base. The number of caravanserais and markets built at this time indicates the important role of the region in the trade between provinces of the Ottoman empire. In the 1700s, as in the rest of the empire, local families take over the position of governor as a hereditary post.