Ancient Anatolian Journey of the Silk Road
The historical silk road Silkroad from China to TurkeyThis ancient trade route linking China to the West originated in Xi'an; it was actually a caravan route and played an important part in the exchange of both goods and thought between the two great civilizations of the time, China and Rome. The most important point of convergence of this 6.400 km long road was Kashgar.
The caravans of merchants either followed the road leading to the Caspian Sea by passing through the Afghan valleys, or climbed the Karakorum Mountains and arrived in Anatolia via Iran. From Anatolia, the caravans proceeded to Europe either by sea or by the Silk Road that passed through the Thrace Region. In the Time of the Mongolians in the 13th and 14th centuries. Marco Polo took the Silk Road to reach China. Even Today, the Silk Road offers an extraordinary variety of historic and cultural riches It still bears the marks of cultures, religions and races of 2000 years standing. This majestic trade route spans two continents. Its vastness, harsh geographical structure and mysteries still bear traces of man's struggle with nature during his long and strenuous journeys.
The Anatolian silk road itinerary Silkroads in AnatoliaThe caravan routes transporting silk, china, paper, spices and precious stones from one continent to the other followed several itineraries in Asia before arriving in Anatolia, which served as a bridge linking it to Europe via the Thrace region. These caravan routes later acquired the name of silk roads and Anatolia constituted the crossroad of these routes. The major cities lying on the Silk Road Anatolia were, in the north: Trabzon, Gümüshane, Erzurum, Sivas, Tokat, Amasya, Kastamonu, Adapazari, Izmit, Istanbul and Edirne; and in the south: Mardin, Diyarbakir, Adiyaman, Malatya, Kahramanmaras, Kayseri, Nevsehir, Konya, Isparta, Antalya and Denizli. Another frequently used itinerary is know to be the one between Erzurum, Malatya, Kayseri, Kirsehir, Ankara, Bilecik, Bursa, Iznik, Izmit and Istanbul.
Apart from this land connection, sea routes were also used. In the Black Sea: The road from the north passed over Batum to Trabzon, Sinop, Istanbul, Bursa, Gallipoli and reached Venice; and in the Mediterranean, it extended from Syria to Antakya, Antalya, Izmir, Foca and from there to Europe. The silk road project
After the Turkic Republics in Central Asia acquired their independence, the idea was raised to revive the Silk Road both as a trade route and as a cultural and historical heirloom with the aim of restoring the inns and caravanserais to meet present day requirements. The Ministry of Tourism is planning to reactivate the Silk Road on which these unique examples of our cultural heritage still stand. This project aims at creating a contemporary tourism movement by transforming the Silk Road, extending from the Adriatic to the Pacific, into a route of love, peace and brotherhood.