Exploring ancient Silk Road's route, trade and culture

More than 2,000 years ago, industrious and brave people on the Eurasian continent opened trade routes connecting major civilizations across Asia, Europe and Africa. Together they were referred to as the "Silk Road" by succeeding generations.

Despite repeated strife and wars in Eurasia, traffic on the Silk Road, with the sound of camel bells and endless flows of caravans and ships, never stopped completely.

Maritime routes were an important part of the network, linking East and West, and were used for the trade of spices in particular, becoming known as the Spice Routes.

"Silk Road" is a relatively recent term, and for the majority of their long history, these ancient roads had no particular name. In the mid-19th century, German geologist, Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen, named the trade and communication network Die Seidenstrasse (the Silk Road), and the term, also used in the plural, continues to stir imaginations.