This ancient commerce route connected the east and west from 140BC to the Middle Ages, only ceasing with the fall of the Roman Empire.

New cities of nearly unfathomable richness grew as traders traded products along the Silk Road, a phrase created by Ferdinand von Richthofen. The trade began with Chinese silk and included camels and coffee. Few of these historic metropolises remain, stunning relics of the Silk Road’s power and grandeur.

Uzbekistan, Khiva

Khiva was one of three Silk Road stopovers in Uzbekistan. Ichon-Qala, a Unesco world heritage site, has scores of restored monuments, including the opulent Tash-Hauli Palace and the incomplete Kalta-Minor minaret.

 Xi’an, China

Zhang Qiam discovered Chang’an, one of East Asia’s earliest cities, during the Han dynasty. Xi’an was a major commerce hub between China, Europe, and the Middle East as the eastern Silk Road departure point.

Xi’an’s historical sites are must-sees. Xi’an has the best-preserved ancient city wall in China, the Tang Dynasty Great Mosque, and the Terracotta Warriors, part of a massive mausoleum for China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang.

Merv, Turkmenistan

It was once the world’s largest metropolis and a thriving cultural hub, but the Mongol dynasty destroyed it and it never rebuilt. The building is ruined.

This deserted location has five cities erected next to one other due to the fluctuating river stream. Known as the ‘wandering city’, the Merv Archaeological Park spans 1,000 hectares of barren plains north of Bayramaly.

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Once captured by Alexander the Great, Samarkand is one of Central Asia’s oldest cities and a Unesco world historic site since 2001. Samarkand has lots to see and do, but the Registan square, with its three amazing madrassas (schools), and the Bibi-Khanym Mosque are its most famous attractions.