Traveling the Silk Road
Great Silk Road, as a trade route arose in W-century BC and lasted until the sixteenth century. Many devastating wars, destruction, fires, famine and pestilence have seen the ancient trading cities along Traveling the Silk Road. Some of them have sunk into oblivion, leaving the ruins of the legendary descendants, other than once blazed with fire, and killed again revived, to amaze the world with riches, blue domes, openwork terracotta band of mausoleums and mosques. Centuries multilingual, bazaars, hundreds of years along the dusty caravan roads were carried for sale to Europeans silks and precious stones, spices and dyes, gold and silver, exotic birds and animals south.
Traveling the Silk Road, one of the most significant achievements in the history of world civilization. Widespread network of caravan ways crossed Europe and Asia from the Mediterranean to China and served in ancient times an important means of trade and cultural exchanges between East and West. The longest part of the Silk Road passed through the territory of Central Asia, including Kyrgyzstan. Caravans laden with silk from China, spices and precious stones from India, silver goods from Iran, Byzantine paintings, afrosiab ceramics and many other goods went through the deserts of Karakum and Kyzyl Kum, through the oases of Merv and Khorezm, the boundless steppes of Sary-Arka; overcame passes of the Pamirs, Tien Shan, Altai, crossed the river Murghab, Amu Darya and Syr Darya.
On the road caravans began to emerge and flourish the rich cities, trade and craft settlements, caravan sheds. Turkmenistan – Merv; Uzbekistan – Bukhara, Samarkand, Urgench, Khiva. Kazakhstan – Otrar, Turkestan, Taraz, Ispedzhab. Kyrgyzstan – Julie, Suyab, Novokent, Balasagun, Borskoon, Tash-Rabat, Osh, Uzgen.
European countries to collaborate and communicate with countries of Asia. Ecumene Hellenic closed ranks with ecumene East. And like the two communicating vessels so different civilization began to pour into one another their knowledge. Arteries connecting the vessels were trade routes. For him not only trafficked goods, for centuries the road to become agents of culture, science, technology and religion. Central Asia, situated between China and India in the east, between Persia and Arabia to the south, the European world in the west, the Volga and Siberia in the north, nearly two thousand years standing at the crossroads of trade routes.
One of the first who described this trade route, historians believe the Chinese diplomat Zhang Tsanya, who lived in the I century BC. The fact that in this period, Central Asia became embroiled in trade relations with China, demonstrate a large number of Chinese coins, bronze mirrors, silk fabrics, remnants, fragments of porcelain tableware made in China, found during archaeological excavations. Under the influence of China in Central Asia began to develop sericulture and paper doing, and from Central Asia, China took up cultivation of grapes, alfalfa, onions, cotton, pomegranate, walnut, fig trees and cucumbers.
Humble servant of the Firm Florence Bardi Francesca Pagolotti returned in 1355 after eight years of absence back home in Italy, for his shoulders were thousands of Chinese, Arab and European farsahs miles of the Great Silk Road. He became the author of a tome “The practice of trade, or a treatise on land division, trade measures, and other things, information which is necessary for merchants of all countries.”
The paradox is that its current name, this ancient road was only in the nineteenth century, proposed by Ferdinand von Riztgofena, author of classic works on the physical geography of China and the orography of Asia, with a light hand that this name is accepted everywhere. Warmly welcomed by world public opinion the decision of UNESCO on the international program “The Great Silk Road, the path of dialogue, mutual understanding and rapprochement of cultures. The Great Silk Road, like the Phoenix bird, begins its rebirth.
Let’s go to the road! And you will see magnificent architecture, get acquainted with the picturesque nature, feel a hot desert wind, see the dazzling mountains, marvel at the beauty of soaring birds. Look in the past and in it you will see today. Have a nice trip to the great epoch and the legendary Silk Road.
