6th–9th centuries CEReputable sourceWell documented
Merchants and the Cities of the Road
On the timeline · around 6th–9th centuries CE ·
What happened
The Silk Road was not a single highway but a web of caravan routes threading between great oasis cities — Samarkand, Bukhara, Kashgar, Dunhuang — where traders of many peoples, especially the Sogdians of Central Asia, met to exchange goods. Camel caravans crossed deserts and mountains carrying silk, spices, jade, glass, and horses.
Why it matters
The caravan cities were cosmopolitan hubs where cultures, languages, and religions mixed. They grew fabulously wealthy as the middlemen of Eurasian trade, and their bazaars were among the most diverse places on earth.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Silk Road · Reputable source