Silk Road Outposts

The city and capitol of the Mughals, a vast empire stretching across South Asia at the end of the Middle Ages. Architectural masterpieces of Agra still bring travelers from near and far, particularly the India’s most famous building - the Taj Mahal.

Straddling the banks of the Sabarmati River lies Ahmedabad, an integral node along the land and maritime routes through India for over six centuries.

Hidden in the dense foliage of central India lies a wonder carved in rock, over 2,000 years old and a symbol of the religious dissemination of the Silk Roads.

First a Christian city established in the 9th Century and then later an Islamic fortress under the Ottomans. Akhaltsikhe has a complicated history which is representative of the diversity of this region.

Long before the modern skylines, ornate Orthodox cathedrals or the bustling bazaars, there existed a ancient nomadic wandering the steppes of this area, below the Tianshan Mountains.

Amman is reminiscent of walking through a time machine, particularly its ancient citadel. Bronze-age caves, Roman pillars, Byzantine churches and Umayyad Mosques all blend together.

A millenium ago, 100,000 residents lived side by side in this plateau, relishing as the capitol of Armenia and the heartbeat of trade for the highlands.

Rising from a small town at the turn of the twentieth century to the capitol of the Republic of Turkey, Ankara has transformed into a global city as expected. Its ancient secrets, however, may surprise the wanderer.

Situated in a stunning harbor of limestone cliffs surrounding by forested mountains, Antalya has served as a crucial port town from the 3rd century B.C. onwards.

The end point of the King’s Highway, this Red Sea port city for thousands of years have harbored many vessels, people, and fortifications. The first Islamic city outside of the Arabian peninsular was also established in Aqaba.

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A city forged by ancient fire found in the ground and in thought, and one that has reawakened in the modern age.

It's a city that needs no introduction, as its fame has spread for centuries as the golden seat of emperors.

Up until the 15th century, the area around Bikaner was a wilderness. However, when an outpost rose from an oasis, an important trade stop established from the north and south regions of India.

In the heart of the Kizilkum Desert, with seemingly nothing around, a mirage of minarets and madrassas appears. A historic crossroads of culture, religion, trade and scholarship.

Mount Olympus, as the ancient Greeks named it, shadows a settlement turned capital city east of the Sea of Marmara, not far from Istanbul.

Of course there are the pyramids, but it is its resurgence 3,000 years later, from the 10th to the 14th centuries, that placed Cairo as one of the golden cities of the Middle Ages.

Situated in the heart of ancient Anatolia, in modern Turkey, Cappadocia's history begins thousands and thousands of years ago.

A steamy lowland jungle before the long and cold ascent up through the Himalayas, bearing many dangers both seen and hiding in the foliage.

For hundreds of years, all roads, east to west and north to south, led and came forth from Constantinople. The worlds greatest, and most dangerous, journey had its deepest roots at the heart of this city.

Below the mountainous extremes to the north lay a wide and fertile plain with a history of thousands of years. Delhi, ancient Indraprastha, lies in this region and has served as a crossroads, even to this very day.

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From the Tigris River that flows through, to the intact Roman walls, to the Silk Road inn that still welcomes travelers to the Kurdish people that live here, Diyarbakir is a city in the fertile crescent of many layers.

An ancient outpost in the shadow of Mount Ararat. This is a region as old as time itself, evidenced by crumbling ruins surrounding an ornate palace atop a hilltop.

Marking the edge of the Wild West and starting point of the Hexi Corridor into China, the Dunhuang oasis played a crucial role in the transmission of goods, and perhaps even more valuable - religion.

Hidden in the hills of Maharashtra lies one of the wonders of the world - monumental rock carvings of enormous size and dedication, reminding passerby’s of what is to come.

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Over a hundred peaks jut out south from the Zarafshan Valley, hiding intact mountain villages, jeweled lakes and glistening glaciers. It also proved a shortcut to the Pamirs, yet it still challenged and delighted.

The white sand shores of the Malabar Coast gives way to some fascinating history and bustling ports. Goa blends all into a truly unique amalgamation.

Walking through Goris is reminiscent of stepping through time as Soviet relics and medieval remnants still play part in everyday life. The abandoned cave city and the modern city below creates a unique atmosphere.

Marco Polo, upon finally reaching Hangzhou in the far east, described it as "the City of Heaven, the most beautiful and magnificent in the world." Welcome to the Pearl of China.

An oasis in the midst of extreme environments, kept relevant for thousands of years due to a precious resource that is found in abundance here.

A pink-hued mirage seemingly appears from the sun-baked plains, a city organized quite unlike anything seen in India.

Golden sandstone walls rise sharply from the earth like a carefully constructed sand castle frozen in time. But it’s not until one reaches the gates of the fort that the legends of its beauty come true.

Jiangyou lies in the center of the Sichuan Basin, a region of fertile soil, unique cuisine, and an abundance of silk - a beautiful respite from the extremes of the Silk Roads to the west.

The beginning or end of China - whether journeying east or west - Jiayuguan stands as the mighty starting point of the Great Wall of China. Here is a formidable barrier to enemies or a welcome respite to citizens.

Rising from the desert sands of Rajasthan lies the imposing silhouette of the Mehrangaeh Fort, a masterpiece beyond imagination.

Kangding stands at a crossroads for the descent into the Sichuan Basin, the endless Tibetan Plateau to the west, and the Tea Horse Road to the south. It was at this intersection that Kangding became the largest trading post of the region.

Standing at a strategic location amidst ravines, canyons, and plateaus, the Karak Plateau for long has been home to legendary rulers and magnificent constructions. The Karak Castle, standing tall above the town, is the pinnacle of its history.

Spanning across two dazzling oasis cities lie a vast stretch of scorched land devoid of water. It was well traversed though, harboring caravanserai and mausoleums from its long past.

If Istanbul and Xi'an are the terminals, then Kashgar can be considered the thriving center of the Silk Roads - a place of the grandest bazaars and outstanding workmanship.

At the foothills of the Himalayas lies a valley filled with ancient wonders and living traditions such as palace squares, towering temples, and utmost devotion.

A beautiful and rugged mountain range running east to west, from the Caspian to the Black Sea and the boundary of Europe and Asia, the Caucasus Mountains have been a formidable barrier throughout history.

Wedged between deserts, a strip of green land emerges along the banks of the Amu Darya River. Khiva, the great walled city of the Khans, lies here, still echoing the glories of the Silk Roads.

On the banks of the bountiful Syr Darya River lies one of Central Asia’s oldest cities, named and renamed numerous times after some of the worlds most powerful rulers.

On the northern outskirts of the engulfing Taklamakan Desert, Kuqa lies at a crucial outpost between the Kashgar and further east towards China.

On the banks of the River Rioni, wedged between the Caucasian Mountains to the north, the Colchis plains to the west and the highlands to the east, lies the ancient city of Kutaisi.

As one of the four great ancient Capitals of China, Luoyang stood as an imperial powerhouse for various dynasties for over 500 years - and thus, the starting point for Silk Roads.

With roots tracing to biblical times and a renaissance during the Byzantine period, Madaba has earned renown as the "city of mosaics." A visit today reveals the hidden beauty, pebble by pebble, to create a grand picture.

On a rocky hill overlooking an expansive view of Mesopotamia, Mardin stands as a city tested by time with a history seeped in different faiths, power struggles and conquests.

In the dusty recesses of Gansu, the ancient edge of China, lies hidden resplendent art in the form of hundreds of painstakingly painted grottoes - the Mogao Caves.

Situated between the fertile basin of Central China, the deserts of Mongolia, and the vital Hexi Corridor, the region known as Ningxia has its own story, where it rose and fell to great extremes.

The Karakoram Highway, consistently regarded as one of earth's most spectacular and dangerous journeys, is equal parts both. Around every turn a new angle emerges of an immense and daunting mountain.

Along the Zarasthan river valley, at the crossroads of the vast plains of tilled land to the west and the wild mountains of nomadic pastures to the east, the dawn of civilization in Central Asia emerged.

Petra needs no introduction, but here is one regardless. A masterpiece of human craftsmanship, a wonder of the world, carved in the red, sandstone cliffs of southern Jordan. From grand city to lost ruins to jewel of modern Jordan, Petra is an experience regardless the century.

A quiet town situated in eastern China would have been forgotten if not for one man born here 2,500 years ago - Confucius.

A town stood still in time. Glass blowing, saffron selling, metal works, and Turkish baking are just a few of the crafts the locals live by. Walking the meandering cobbled streets, a glimpse of Ottoman Turkey beckons.

Samarkand, the city of architectural masterpieces and monuments pieced together by the legendary ruler Tamerlane, is a spectacle centuries ago as it remains today.

The “Pearl of the Silk Road” as passerby’s called it years back. A glistening star of blue water amidst a green and white expanse.

Shymkent and Sayram, twin cities separated by a mere 10 kilometers in the southern reaches of Kazakhstan, share vastly different stories.

A vast and endless sea of sand stretches across the heart of the Silk Roads, posing perhaps the premier danger in all the expansive routes.

Standing at the crossroads of Central Asia, Tashkent served as one of the most important trading hubs on the northern Silk Road routes, connecting the markets of China with those of Persia and the Mediterranean.

From majestic snow-capped peaks extending in all directions to seemingly endless grasslands where nomads tents and sheep number in the hundreds, Taxkurgan is at a land stood still in time.

Tbilisi can’t seem to decide where it lies. European, Asian and Middle Eastern influences seamlessly blend into the environment in and around Tbilisi, creating a uniqueness found seldom elsewhere.

The vast Thar Desert stands as a barrier in the western reaches of the Indian subcontinent, where endless miles of sand proved a formidable barrier, but perhaps more preferential than the Pamir Mountains.

The mighty peaks of old, Earth's roof, and simply the greatest mountain range on this planet. Words cannot do these granitic masterpieces justice. But it still proves a formidable barrier into the Middle Kingdom.

Drawing inspiration for countless poets and artists over the centuries, these ancient mountains rise as pillars into the clouds.

The Heavenly Mountains, stretching from Uzbekistan to Western China, hasn't changed for thousands of years. Nomads still wander the endless grasslands, and modernity has only crept in as what is necessary.

The spiritual heartbeat of Kazakhstan, Turkestan still attracts pilgrims from around the world, yet it also tells tales of destruction hidden beneath its sands.

Situated in a blazing environment 154 meters (505 feet) below sea level with mountains of fire extended around its perimeter, Turpan nevertheless remained relevant in its two-thousand year history.

Situated between the legendary Tigris and Euphrates River, in the heart of the Fertile Crescent, lies ancient Urfa, the supposed birthplace of Abraham.

A vast, seemingly endless stretch of inhospitable desert land extends east from the Caspian towards the legendary cities of Central Asia, harboring remains under its sand.

The capital of 10 Chinese dynasties and a crucial junction of vast desert and fertile plains, Xi’an, formerly known as Chang’an, is the cultural heart of China and a city hard to describe in words.

On the eastern slope of Mount Ararat, a pink-hued city emerges among the green fields. The ancient and modern crossroads of Armenia - all Armenian roads lead to and come forth from Yerevan.

An oasis in the Hexi Corridor bearing many tales and holding endless treasures, most notably the Rainbow Mountains of China.