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| Silk Road |
When travelling to a foreign country, what is it about a place which fascinates you? Is it the people? The history beneath ancient walls? The beauty of the landscape? The culture? Or is it the vibrating pulse of an ultra-modern city?
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No matter which aspect of travelling it is that catches your fancy, you will never be disappointed when visiting something like the ancient Silk Road. From Pingyao to Xi’ian, to Dunhuang and the far West – you will learn more about history and oriental culture than what you’ve ever glimpsed of it when you were poring over books in school.
A Brief Glimpse at the History of the Ancient Silk Road in Asia
The ancient Silk Road was one of the greatest trade routes in the world, spanning Asia and extending all the way to the Roman Empire. Whether you would like to have a glimpse of Buddhist art, towering sand dunes, Islamic architecture or colonial cities, this is definitely the place to be.
When you go online, you will see that the ancient Silk Road has a map which has interconnected trade routes. The route was built to link East Asia and the during the height of the trading period. Instead of being built with just one single highway, the ancient Silk Road is composed of a series of roads crisscrossing Asia.
Travellers who are ambitious enough to think about covering the entire Silk Road should definitely stop by these highlights:
- Almaty
- Antakya
- Bukhara
- Dunhuang
- Istanbul
- Samarkand
- Tashkent
- Tehran
- Turpan
- Urumqi
- Yehrevan
- Xi’ian
There was a time when the 2,000-year old Silk Road fell into disuse, especially when the roads were swallowed up by the sands of the Taklamakan. However, this ancient trading route experienced a rebirth when China and the rest of Central Asia opened up. Today, the Silk Road itself and the regions through which it passes have been brought back to life.
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| Silk Road |
Travelling through the Ancient Silk Road
Keep in mind that the ancient Silk Road is not necessarily your typical tourist destination. It falls under the off-the-beaten-path category – which makes travelling through it even much more interesting.
Over the past few years, a popular route that people have taken to traverse through the ancient Silk Road was to use the Trans-Siberian railway. Some highlights of this linear tour are visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Samarkand and Bukhara in Uzbekistan. Those who are looking forward to exploring the culture of the people within the ancient Silk Route will encounter desert nomads, Romans, Greek, Persians and Mongols. Another typical route that travellers take is exploring Turkey and then venturing out to Syria and the rest of Central Asia.
Travel experts say that advanced planning is key if you wish to go on an ancient Silk Road adventure. However, you should steer clear of venturing out into Iran, Uzbekistan, and similar places where there is civic unrest – especially if your country has a travel warning against them.
At the end of the day, exploring the true diversity of the countries where the ancient Silk Road passes through is definitely something that you should add to your travel itinerary. And due to the increasing exposure that it is getting in the travel industry, you better visit it now rather than later – before the ancient Silk Road becomes one of the most popular tourist spots in the world.
Who traveled the Silk Road?
Famous Travelers on the Silk Road. In the history of the Silk Road, many renowned people left their footprints on this most historically important trade route, including eminent diplomats, generals and great monks, such as Zhang Qian, Ban Chao, Ban Yong and Fu Jiezi, Gan Ying, Xuanzang and Marco Polo.Who traveled the Silk Road and for what purpose?
Because silk was the major trade product which traveled on this road, it was named the Silk Road in 1877 by Ferdinand von Richthofen – a well-known German geographer. This ancient route not only circulated goods, but also exchanged the splendid cultures of China, India, Persia, Arabia, Greek and RomeWho benefited from the Silk Road?
Everyone (East and West) benefited from the Silk Road. It opened up trade, communication, different ideas, culture, and religion to the entire world.Who controlled most of the Silk Road?
Mongol empire (13th–14th centuries)Because the Mongols came to control the trade routes, trade circulated throughout the region, though they never abandoned their nomadic lifestyle.
Why did the Silk Road end?
The speed of the sea transportation, the possibility to carry more goods, relative cheapness of transportation resulted in the decline of the Silk Road in the end of the 15th century. ... During the civil war in China the destroyed Silk Road once again played its big role in the history of China.