Caravan Way snakes into the Merchant District from the east. The main thoroughfare reaches its terminus in the shadow of the ziggurat at Iron Square, where the road divides to surround the center of trade. Assortments of loyal guards and laborers work in the warehouses that adjoin the emporiums.
Each of the largest trading houses on Athas maintains emporiums, offices, and homes in the Merchant District. Grandiose trading parlors line Iron Square, each branded with the name and emblem of the controlling merchant house and staffed by junior members of the house. Between the prominent emporiums sit small traders that fill niche markets and handle cargo that the bigger merchants avoid due to too little profit or too much risk. Fierce rivalries and subtle intrigues are daily considerations of merchants in Tyr; most houses hire dependable caravan guards for their frequent cross-desert trade treks.