Silk Roads

Connected Sites: 72

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.

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Connected Sites

Bukhara
Bukhara
Uzbekistan
Inscribed: 1993
4.04
185
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
Ancient Merv
Ancient Merv
Turkmenistan
Inscribed: 1999
2.83
47
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)
Aleppo
Aleppo
Syria
Inscribed: 1986
3.55
88
5
Classic Land Route; Commercial Hub Al-Madina Souq With Caravanserai Where Silk From Persia Was Traded
See En.Unesco.Org
Istanbul
Istanbul
Turkiye
Inscribed: 1985
4.38
665
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
Samarkand
Samarkand
Uzbekistan
Inscribed: 2001
4.36
197
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
Kunya-Urgench
Kunya-Urgench
Turkmenistan
Inscribed: 2005
2.56
56
4
Classic Land Route; Trading Centre And Caravanserai (Wiki)
See En.Unesco.Org
Shakhrisyabz
Shakhrisyabz
Uzbekistan
Inscribed: 2000
2.62
116
6
(Near) Classic 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
18
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
Taxila
Taxila
Pakistan
Inscribed: 1980
2.98
51
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
Mogao Caves
Inscribed: 1987
4.08
74
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)
Ancient Nara
Inscribed: 1998
4.00
380
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
Tyre
Tyre
Lebanon
Inscribed: 1984
2.78
89
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
Damascus
Inscribed: 1979
3.87
104
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
Palmyra
Palmyra
Syria
Inscribed: 1980
3.98
85
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
Sulaiman-Too
Sulaiman-Too
Kyrgyzstan
Inscribed: 2009
2.28
71
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)
Orkhon Valley
Inscribed: 2004
2.51
55
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)
Longmen Grottoes
Inscribed: 2000
3.88
137
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
Yungang Grottoes
Inscribed: 2001
3.93
125
3
Eastern Route; "Buddhism Arrived In This Location Via Travel On The Ancient North Silk Road" (Wiki)
Tabriz Bazaar
Inscribed: 2010
2.57
59
4
Classic Land Route; "One Of The Most Important Commercial Centres On The Silk Road" (Ab Ev)
See En.Unesco.Org
Gyeongju
Gyeongju
Republic of Korea
Inscribed: 2000
3.29
177
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
Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple
Inscribed: 1995
3.32
166
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.
Gonbad-e Qâbus
Inscribed: 2012
2.72
16
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)
Site of Xanadu
Inscribed: 2012
2.13
24
3
Mongolian Route; "An Important Stopping Place On The Silk Route" (Ab Ev)
Silk Roads: Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor
Silk Roads: Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor
China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
Inscribed: 2014
3.05
257
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)
Bursa and Cumalikizik
Inscribed: 2014
3.22
141
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
Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens
Inscribed: 2015
2.75
83
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)
Ani
Ani
Turkiye
Inscribed: 2016
3.48
59
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)
Bam Cultural Landscape
Inscribed: 2004
2.82
35
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)
Potala Palace
Inscribed: 1994
4.14
101
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
99
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."
Bisotun
Inscribed: 2006
2.68
39
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
Soltaniyeh
Inscribed: 2005
2.74
42
3
(Near) Classic Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
Meidan Emam, Esfahan
Inscribed: 1979
3.80
130
2
(Near) Classic Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
Shushtar
Inscribed: 2009
3.19
41
2
(Near) Classic Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
Takht-e Soleyman
Inscribed: 2003
3.20
41
4
(Near) Classic Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
Armenian Monastic Ensembles
Inscribed: 2008
3.28
45
4
(Near) Classic Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
Hatra
Hatra
Iraq
Inscribed: 1985
3.40
21
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
Samarra
Inscribed: 2007
3.02
33
5
(Near) Classic Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
See En.Unesco.Org
Bosra
Bosra
Syria
Inscribed: 1980
3.07
58
6
(Near) Classic Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
Anjar
Anjar
Lebanon
Inscribed: 1984
3.16
88
5
Classic Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
Baalbek
Baalbek
Lebanon
Inscribed: 1984
3.99
129
5
(Near) Classic Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
Kathmandu Valley
Inscribed: 1979
3.83
217
9
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)
Makli, Thatta
Inscribed: 1981
2.97
38
3
(Near) South Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
See En.Unesco.Org
Divrigi
Divrigi
Turkiye
Inscribed: 1985
2.88
52
6
Turkey/Aegean Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
Nisa
Nisa
Turkmenistan
Inscribed: 2007
2.07
56
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)
Itchan Kala
Itchan Kala
Uzbekistan
Inscribed: 1990
3.77
142
5
Classic Land Route; Trading Post
See Dsr.Nii.Ac.Jp
Sviyazhsk
Inscribed: 2017
2.40
33
3
Caucasus/Black Sea Route; "Crossroads Of The Silk And Volga Routes" (Ab Ev)
Yazd
Yazd
Iran
Inscribed: 2017
3.59
112
3
Connecting Southern Route With Maritime Silk Road; "Located In The Deserts Of Iran Close To The Spice And Silk Roads." (Ab Ev)
Okinoshima Island
Inscribed: 2017
2.30
49
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
Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries
Inscribed: 2018
2.99
82
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
Quanzhou
Inscribed: 2021
3.40
65
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
Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
Inscribed: 2003
3.39
76
4
(Near) Classic Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function.
Minaret of Jam
Minaret of Jam
Afghanistan
Inscribed: 2002
3.91
9
1
(Near) Southern Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
See En.Unesco.Org
Takht-i-Bahi
Inscribed: 1980
3.04
37
3
(Near) Southern Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
Susa
Susa
Iran
Inscribed: 2015
2.40
41
4
(Near) Southern Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function. Had Its Heydays Much Earlier.
Masjed-e Jâme'
Inscribed: 2012
3.22
115
3
(Near) Classic Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function.
Erbil Citadel
Inscribed: 2014
2.51
47
4
(Near) Classic Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
Mount Emei, including Leshan Giant Buddha
Inscribed: 1996
3.71
133
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)
Old Town of Lijiang
Inscribed: 1997
3.53
156
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
34
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
32
4
(Near) Classic Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
Ancient villages of Northern Syria
Inscribed: 2011
3.09
37
2
(Near) Classic Land Route; In Icomos Thematic Study But No Details On Role Or Function
Land of Frankincense
Inscribed: 2000
2.81
78
10
Maritime Silk Road; "A Harbor Along The ´Silk Road To The Sea´" (Ab Ev)
See En.Unesco.Org
Qalhat
Inscribed: 2018
1.73
67
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
Walled City of Baku
Inscribed: 2000
2.95
170
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
Derbent
Derbent
Russia
Inscribed: 2003
2.99
22
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
Venice and its Lagoon
Inscribed: 1987
4.51
828
18
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
Melaka and George Town
Inscribed: 2008
3.01
323
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
Hoi An
Hoi An
Viet Nam
Inscribed: 1999
3.48
336
8
Maritime Silk Road: Trading Port
See En.Unesco.Org
Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara
Inscribed: 1981
3.26
25
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
Persian Caravanserai
Inscribed: 2023
2.57
56
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)
Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor
Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Inscribed: 2023
2.49
82
6