Silk Road

The Silk Road is the collective name for east-west trade routes connecting China to the Mediterranean from antiquity through the medieval period. Named by German geographer Richthofen in the 19th century, it carried not just silk but spices, gems, glass, paper, gunpowder, and religions (Buddhism, Islam, Christianity).

The main route ran from Changan (modern Xian) through the Hexi Corridor, around the Taklamakan Desert, through Samarkand and Bukhara in Central Asia, to Persia (Iran) and the Mediterranean coast. Modern Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan all prospered as Silk Road waypoints.

Silk Road waypoint or ancient trade route crossroads suggests Central Asian countries. Uzbekistans Samarkand and Bukhara are UNESCO World Heritage Silk Road cities.

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