Silk Road
)
Ruins of a stupa, a shrine to the Buddha and his disciples, at the important archaeological site of Taxila. Stupas were domed temples that originated in India, and were often built to house a religious relic. Taxila is strategically situated on a branch of the Silk Road, which linked China to the West. The remains of three cities have been found here, built in successive ages.
Ancient and medieval overland route of about 6,400 km/4,000 mi by which silk was brought from China to Europe in return for trade goods; it ran west via the Gobi Desert, Samarkand, and Antioch to Mediterranean ports in Greece, Italy, the Middle East, and Egypt.
Buddhism came to China via this route, which was superseded from the 16th century by sea trade.
How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|
?Sign in  |
|---|