Silk Roads

Connected Sites: 72

Definition
The Silk Roads comprised a network of ancient trade routes across Central Asia that linked people, ideas, goods, technology, and diseases from Rome to China during the period from c. 500 BCE to 1500 CE. See this blog post about how the sites below were selected.

Map

Connected Sites

  • Ancient Merv
    Ancient Merv
    Turkmenistan
    Inscribed: 1999
    2.83
    42
    5
    Classic Land Route; the oldest and most completely preserved of the oasis cities along the Silk Roads in Central Asia. The cities of the Merv oasis have exerted considerable influence over the cultures of Central Asia and Iran for four millennia. (AB ev)
  • Samarkand
    Samarkand
    Uzbekistan
    Inscribed: 2001
    4.37
    167
    6
    Classic Land Route; "the city and the surrounding area were inhabited by the Sogdians, a people of Iranian origins renowned for their skill at trading. As early as Han times (206 BC-220 AD), when the Chinese first committed to writing their impressions of Inner Asia, Sogdian merchants are recorded in the Chinese descriptions of the region. Sogdian colonies were established all along the trade routes and Sogdian letters have been discovered from 313-314 AD, providing evidence about a network of merchants from Samarkand, reaching various places as far as China, in order to trade precious metals, spices and cloth. Sogdian inscriptions on rocks in northern Pakistan testify to their activity on the routes south into India. Later on, in the 6th century AD, Sogdian merchants seem to have travelled west and developed new routes for trade with Byzantium." (Silk Roads Programme)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Shakhrisyabz
    Shakhrisyabz
    Uzbekistan
    Inscribed: 2000
    2.61
    101
    6
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
    See en.unesco.org
  • Mogao Caves
    Inscribed: 1987
    4.08
    59
    5
    Classic Land Route; "the Dunhuang oasis, near which the two branches of the Silk Road forked, enjoyed the privilege of being a relay station where not only merchandise was traded, but ideas as well, exemplified by the Chinese, Tibetan, Sogdian, Khotan, Uighur and even Hebrew manuscripts found within the caves" (AB ev)
  • Tyre
    Tyre
    Lebanon
    Inscribed: 1984
    2.78
    74
    5
    Classic Silk Route; connected with Mediterranean sea routes: "the merchants of Tyre who navigated the Mediterranean waters and filled their warehouses with goods from their extensive colonies all around the Mediterranean coasts." (AB ev)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Sulaiman-Too
    Sulaiman-Too
    Kyrgyzstan
    Inscribed: 2009
    2.23
    63
    3
    Classic Land Route; "In mediaeval times Osh was one of the largest cities of the fertile Fergana valley at the crossroads of important routes on the Central Asian Silk Roads system, and Sulaiman-Too was a beacon for travellers." (AB ev)
  • Tabriz Bazaar
    Inscribed: 2010
    2.59
    46
    4
    Classic Land Route; "one of the most important commercial centres on the Silk Road" (AB ev)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple
    Inscribed: 1995
    3.32
    140
    10
    Eastern Roiue; The Silk Road contributed to the Golden Age of Silla. Silla Kings allied with the Tang dynasty to defeat rival Korean kingdoms. The flowering of Buddhism in Gyeongju in the 7th and 8th centuries began with the Silk Road extending to the Korean peninsula.
  • Potala Palace
    Inscribed: 1994
    4.14
    79
    11
    (Near) Southern Land Route; "Lhasa attracted merchant caravans from across Central Asia with whom the Lhasa Newars (from the Kathmandu Valley) engaged in trade" (wiki)
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • Mount Qingcheng and Dujiangyan
    Inscribed: 2000
    3.40
    74
    4
    Southern Land Route (Teahorse Road); "the caravans stopped in the old city and paid respect to city god shrine in Yuleishan, a part of Dujiangyan Scenic Area."
  • Soltaniyeh
    Inscribed: 2005
    2.74
    32
    3
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
  • Anjar
    Anjar
    Lebanon
    Inscribed: 1984
    3.16
    74
    5
    Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
  • Baalbek
    Baalbek
    Lebanon
    Inscribed: 1984
    3.99
    102
    5
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
  • Sviyazhsk
    Inscribed: 2017
    2.40
    29
    3
    Caucasus/Black Sea Route; "crossroads of the Silk and Volga routes" (AB ev)
  • Masjed-e Jâme'
    Inscribed: 2012
    3.22
    93
    3
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function.
  • Old Town of Lijiang
    Inscribed: 1997
    3.54
    111
    11
    Southern Land Route (Teahorse road); "is where the Silk Road in the south joins the Ancient Chama (Tea and Horse) Roads" (AB ev)
  • Nalanda
    Nalanda
    India
    Inscribed: 2016
    2.84
    31
    3
    (Near) Southern Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
  • Safi al-Din Ensemble in Ardabil
    Inscribed: 2010
    3.14
    24
    4
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
  • Land of Frankincense
    Inscribed: 2000
    2.81
    66
    10
    Maritime Silk Road; "a harbor along the ´Silk Road to the Sea´" (AB ev)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Walled City of Baku
    Inscribed: 2000
    2.96
    137
    7
    Caucasus/Black Sea Route; " lies on an ancient trade route from the Central Asian steppe towards Europe, being the main port that received trade from the east as it was shipped across the Caspian Sea" (Silk Roads Programme)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Venice and its Lagoon
    Inscribed: 1987
    4.52
    611
    19
    Maritime Silk Road; "Venetian merchants of this era established links that reached as far as the Mongol Empire and Persia, as well as Armenia, the Caucasus and Asia Minor, spanning many branches of the historic Silk Roads." (Silk Roads Programme)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Persian Caravanserai
    Inscribed: 2023
    2.57
    51
    3
    "During the Parthian empire (247 BCE-224 CE), trade between the East and the West flourished via the Silk Roads. During the rule of the Parthians over Persia, numerous stations and caravanserais were built" (AB ev)
  • Palmyra
    Palmyra
    Syria
    Inscribed: 1980
    3.98
    66
    3
    Classic Land Route; "As such, Palmyra came to occupy a no-man's land criss-crossed with caravan routes. The city profited from its location, for there was a demand from Rome for the luxuries of the East — silks and spices — and Parthia, with its growing interest in Hellenistic culture, wanted the goods of the West. " (Silk Roads Programme)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Quanzhou
    Inscribed: 2021
    3.40
    59
    4
    Maritime Silk Road; " functioned as the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road into the Yuan, eclipsing both the overland trade routes and Guangzhou" (wiki)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Kathmandu Valley
    Inscribed: 1979
    3.81
    162
    10
    Southern Route; "Kathmandu's trade is an ancient profession that flourished along an offshoot of the Silk Road which linked India and Tibet. From centuries past, Lhasa Newar merchants of Kathmandu have conducted trade across the Himalaya and contributed to spreading art styles and Buddhism across Central Asia." (wiki)
  • Shushtar
    Inscribed: 2009
    3.19
    31
    2
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
  • Meidan Emam, Esfahan
    Inscribed: 1979
    3.79
    105
    2
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
  • Itchan Kala
    Itchan Kala
    Uzbekistan
    Inscribed: 1990
    3.75
    122
    5
    Classic Land Route; trading post
    See dsr.nii.ac.jp
  • Hatra
    Hatra
    Iraq
    Inscribed: 1985
    3.40
    19
    5
    Classic Land Route; "In the 2nd century BC, it flourished as a major staging-post on the famous oriental silk road to become another of the great Arab cities" (Silk Roads Programme)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Inscribed: 2012
    2.72
    11
    3
    Classic Land Route; "Jorjan town was commercially significant in the Roman period due to its location on the Silk Road between Merv and Ctesiphon" (AB ev)
  • Derbent
    Derbent
    Russia
    Inscribed: 2003
    2.97
    18
    2
    Caucasus/Black Sea Route; "The significance of the Caspian passage, made it of strategic importance to the numerous nomad and steppe’s tribes such as the Scythians, the Sarmatians, the Mongols, the Alans etc. This was one of the most important Silk Roads corridors as the crossroads of civilizations connecting the East and the West, the North and the South by the maritime and land routes." (Silk Roads Programme)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Bosra
    Bosra
    Syria
    Inscribed: 1980
    3.06
    48
    6
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
  • Ancient villages of Northern Syria
    Inscribed: 2011
    3.09
    28
    2
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
  • Aleppo
    Aleppo
    Syria
    Inscribed: 1986
    3.53
    68
    5
    Classic Land Route; commercial hub Al-Madina Souq with caravanserai where silk from Persia was traded
    See en.unesco.org
  • Okinoshima Island
    Inscribed: 2017
    2.34
    45
    5
    Maritime Route; "shards of Persian glass presumably brought to Japan by way of the distant Silk Road are important pieces of evidence"
    See www.okinoshima-heritage.jp
  • Taxila
    Taxila
    Pakistan
    Inscribed: 1980
    2.98
    43
    4
    Southern Land Route; "Situated strategically on a branch of the Silk Road that linked China to the West" (AB ev), "Buddhist monuments were erected throughout the Taxila valley, which was transformed into a religious heartland and a destination for pilgrims from as far afield as Central Asia and China." (Silk Roads Programme)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Yungang Grottoes
    Inscribed: 2001
    3.93
    96
    3
    Eastern Route; "Buddhism arrived in this location via travel on the ancient North Silk Road" (wiki)
  • Yazd
    Yazd
    Iran
    Inscribed: 2017
    3.59
    92
    3
    Connecting Southern Route with Maritime Silk Road; "located in the deserts of Iran close to the Spice and Silk Roads." (AB ev)
  • Takht-e Soleyman
    Inscribed: 2003
    3.20
    27
    4
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
  • Susa
    Susa
    Iran
    Inscribed: 2015
    2.40
    30
    4
    (Near) Southern Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function. Had its heydays much earlier.
  • Site of Xanadu
    Inscribed: 2012
    2.13
    19
    3
    Mongolian route; "an important stopping place on the silk route" (AB ev)
  • Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor
    Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor
    Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
    Inscribed: 2023
    2.44
    85
    6
  • Silk Roads: Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor
    Silk Roads: Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor
    China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
    Inscribed: 2014
    3.02
    196
    9
    Classic Land Route; "The Tian-shan corridor bears an exceptional witness to traditions of communication and exchange in economy and culture, and to social development across the Eurasian continent between the 2nd century BC to the 16th century AD." (OUV)
  • Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries
    Inscribed: 2018
    2.99
    74
    4
    Eastern Route; "According to tradition, the Precepts Platform at Tongdosa temple contains a relic of the historical Buddha brought to Silla by Jajang as a gift from Tang China." - Advisory Body Evaluation
  • Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara
    Inscribed: 1981
    3.26
    24
    5
    Maritime Silk Road; " These Swahili merchant cities prospered by controlling the maritime trade in the Indian Ocean with Arabia, India and China, trading ivory and gold from inland for silver, perfume, Persian earthenware and Chinese porcelain." (Silk Roads Programme)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Qalhat
    Inscribed: 2018
    1.73
    61
    4
    Maritime Silk Road; "Qalhat exhibits the cultural and commercial interchange of values within the trading range of the Kingdom of Hormuz, which extended to India and as far as China and South East Asia." (OUV)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Orkhon Valley
    Inscribed: 2004
    2.52
    51
    6
    Mongolian route; "The broad, shallow river valley provides water and shelter, key requisites for its role as a staging post on the ancient trade routes across the steppes, such as those now known as the "Silk Road", and for its development as the centre of two of the vast central Asian empires." (AB ev)
  • Nisa
    Nisa
    Turkmenistan
    Inscribed: 2007
    2.07
    49
    5
    Classic Land Route; "along what some centuries later became part of the Silk Roads network" (AB ev), "From Nisa, the Parthians controlled the Silk Roads and oasis settlements and trading centers like the harsh desert cities of Merv and Serakhs." (Silk Roads Programme)
  • Mount Emei, including Leshan Giant Buddha
    Inscribed: 1996
    3.66
    98
    6
    Southern Land Route (Teahorse road); "Buddhism was introduced into China in the 1st century CE via the Silk Road from India to Mount Emei, and it was on Mount Emei that the first Buddhist temple in China was built." (AB ev)
  • Makli, Thatta
    Inscribed: 1981
    2.97
    32
    3
    (Near) South Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
    See en.unesco.org
  • Longmen Grottoes
    Inscribed: 2000
    3.88
    100
    7
    Eastern Route; "The carving of grottoes into remote mountainsides to serve as Buddhist temples was a practice which originated in India c. 3rd century BCE. Buddhism, along with the practice of grotto carving, passed to China along the silk road, influencing the creation of Buddhist grottoes at Yungang"
    See www.worldhistory.org
  • Kunya-Urgench
    Kunya-Urgench
    Turkmenistan
    Inscribed: 2005
    2.56
    48
    4
    Classic Land Route; trading centre and caravanserai (wiki)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Istanbul
    Istanbul
    Turkiye
    Inscribed: 1985
    4.37
    485
    12
    Turkey/Aegean route connecting to Classic Silk Route; "during the first two or three centuries of the Silk Road (perhaps until 200 AD), from the 4th century onwards, the “Rome” to which all roads led in the Mediterranean world was “Eastern Rome” or Constantinople." (Silk Roads Programme)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Hoi An
    Hoi An
    Viet Nam
    Inscribed: 1999
    3.47
    257
    8
    Maritime Silk Road: trading port
    See en.unesco.org
  • Gyeongju
    Gyeongju
    Republic of Korea
    Inscribed: 2000
    3.30
    146
    14
    Eastern Route; The Silk Road contributed to the Golden Age of Silla. Silla Kings allied with the Tang dynasty to defeat rival Korean kingdoms. The flowering of Buddhism in Gyeongju in the 7th and 8th centuries began with the Silk Road extending to the Korean peninsula.
    See en.unesco.org
  • Erbil Citadel
    Inscribed: 2014
    2.51
    38
    4
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
  • Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens
    Inscribed: 2015
    2.75
    72
    4
    (Near) Classic Land Route; "Silk was grown in the Hevsel Gardens, contributing to the important trade from and through Diyarbakır to Aleppo" (AB ev)
  • Damascus
    Inscribed: 1979
    3.89
    77
    5
    Classic Land Route; commercial hub and "For west-bound traders, the city became a last place of rest before making a short journey to the Mediterranean and transferring goods to transport ships".
    See www.historyshistories.com
  • Bursa and Cumalikizik
    Inscribed: 2014
    3.20
    123
    8
    Turkey/Aegean route connecting to Classic Silk Route; "Bursa continued to be extremely important in the Ottoman silk trade, acting as a focal point for the importation of silk from China via Persia, and also, more unusually, as a centre for its production." (Silk Roads Programme)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Bukhara
    Bukhara
    Uzbekistan
    Inscribed: 1993
    4.03
    156
    6
    Classic Land Route; cultural, trading and religious centre; "situated on the Silk Roads; profound influence on the evolution and planning of towns in a wide region of Central Asia" (AB ev)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Bisotun
    Inscribed: 2006
    2.68
    29
    2
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function; "located along the ancient trade route linking the Iranian high plateau with Mesopotamia" (AB ev), but from a much earlier age
  • Bam Cultural Landscape
    Inscribed: 2004
    2.82
    27
    2
    Classic Land Route; "For centuries, Bam had a strategic location on the Silk Roads connecting it to Central Asia in the east, the Persian Gulf in the south, as well as Egypt in the west and it is an example of the interaction of the various influences" (AB ev)
  • Armenian Monastic Ensembles
    Inscribed: 2008
    3.28
    34
    4
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
  • Ancient Nara
    Inscribed: 1998
    4.00
    291
    14
    Eastern Route: "Linked to the maritime Silk Roads through the city of Osaka, which lies on the coast just 40 km (25 miles) to the west, Nara developed as a cultural hub where Japanese, Chinese and Korean influences came together, as well as a religious centre of significance both for Buddhists and Shintoists." (Silk Roads Programme)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Divrigi
    Divrigi
    Turkiye
    Inscribed: 1985
    2.88
    49
    6
    Turkey/Aegean Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
  • Melaka and George Town
    Inscribed: 2008
    3.00
    244
    8
    Maritime Silk Road (Melaka): " From at least 200 BCE, Chinese merchants sailed as far south as the straits of Malacca and met and traded with both Indonesian people and merchants from across the Indian subcontinent." (Silk Roads Programme)
    See en.unesco.org
  • Takht-i-Bahi
    Inscribed: 1980
    3.04
    32
    3
    (Near) Southern Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
  • Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
    Inscribed: 2003
    3.39
    67
    4
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function.
  • Ani
    Ani
    Turkiye
    Inscribed: 2016
    3.46
    49
    6
    Classical Land Route; "medieval city that was once one of the cultural and commercial centres on the Silk Road ..; an important gate of the Silk Roads into Anatolia" (AB ev)
  • Samarra
    Inscribed: 2007
    3.02
    27
    5
    (Near) Classic Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
    See en.unesco.org
  • Minaret of Jam
    Minaret of Jam
    Afghanistan
    Inscribed: 2002
    3.91
    7
    1
    (Near) Southern Land Route; in ICOMOS thematic study but no details on role or function
    See en.unesco.org
  • Bamiyan Valley
    Bamiyan Valley
    Afghanistan
    Inscribed: 2003
    3.85
    13
    2
    Southern Land Route; "stopping place on the branch of the Silk Route, which linked China and India via ancient Bactria; ... an important Buddhist centre on the Silk Road" (AB ev)
    See en.unesco.org