The Silk Road, the ancient trade route passing through Bokhara to Samarkand in the west and Dunhuang to Xi'an in central China, conjures up exotic pictures of camel trains laden with bales of fine Chinese silk, and spices and perfumes in the great market of Samarkand. The Silk Road also witnessed the movement of cultural influences and this text examines the civilizations and ideas that flourished along with vast geographical route. The 19th century saw a new interest in Central Asia as Russia and Britain vied for power on the frontiers of Afghanistan. A new breed of explorer, part archaeologist, part cartographer, part spy, was seen on the Silk Road and some of the ancient cities, long buried in sand-blown dunes, began to give up their secrets. Covering more than 2000 years of history, this book presents an overall picture of the history and cultures of the Silk Road. It is illustrated throughout with many manuscripts and paintings from the collections of the British Library and other museums worldwide, and contains many previously unpublished photographs by the great explorers Stein, Hedin and Mannerheim.
