Silk Road: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 19, 2026

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Photos and Videos

Map showing the Silk Road network at its peak between 700 and 900 CE, spanning Eurasia and North Africa. It highlights primary overland trade routes in pink, secondary routes in orange, and sea routes in blue, connecting cities such as Chang'an (Xi'an), Samarkand, Baghdad, Constantinople, Venice, and extending to ports along the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, and East Asia. Modern international boundaries are also outlined.

Trade caravans on the Silk Road

Rocky stream flowing into Karakul Lake with snow-capped Pamir Mountains in the background, under a clear sky in Xinjiang, China.

Marco Polo on the Silk Road

Pamirs and Silk Road, China

Eroded, sandy-colored ruins of ancient stone structures rise from a barren, dry landscape at the ancient city of Jiaohe under a clear sky.

Turfan Depression

Map showing the Silk Road trade routes across Asia, with main routes marked in red stretching from Shanghai and Chang'an (Xi'an) in eastern China, passing through cities such as Lanzhou, Dunhuang, and Kashgar, then westward across Central Asia through Samarkand, Bukhara, and reaching the region of Anatolia. The map also marks geographic features like the Gobi Desert, Takla Makan Desert, and the Himalayas, as well as the Great Royal Road leading into India.

Journey along the Silk Road: History and myths

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Topics

Route 66 Pan-American Highway Whitehall Trans-Canada Highway Roman road system Karakoram Highway Appian Way Blue Ridge Parkway Ho Chi Minh Trail Alaska Highway

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