The Silk Road, is the collective name given to a number of trade routes linking the Chinese and Roman Empire. In the Middle Ages the Venetian merchant Marco Polo named the caravan routes Silk Roads. The name "Silk Road" is associated with silk - then rather valuable article of trade, which introduced the East to the West. The long and winding Silk Road has a history of more than two thousand years. The Great Silk Road routes started from China and stretched to the cities of the Mediterranean ports which acted as a junction between the East and West. For the first time in the history of mankind it has connected different countries and nations from the Mediterranean to the Pacific Ocean, has combined their material, art and spiritual cultures. In the history of Great Silk Road there are such figures as Alexander the Great, Marco Polo, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane. It lasted until 15th century when newly-discovered sea routes to Asia opened up.
Silk Road today is one of the most attractive tourist routes. It We invite you to make a tour of Silk Road. Traveling along these ancient caravan routes that in the past connected the West and the East, you'll get ample knowledge and memorable impressions, will see at first hand the grandeur of achievements of human civilization.
Armenia on the Great Silk Road
Armenia, located along the east-west land routes between the Eastern and Western worlds, plays a big part in the Medieval trading. The East-West trade routes passed across the Armenian plateau and favored the development of the country. It took control over main branches of the Great Silk Road in the Middle East. Under the Byzantine Empire, Armenia was the center of trade for Persia and countries next to the Black Sea and Europe. Artashat, Dvin and Ani, the historical capitals of Armenia were the most important trade centre of the country.
Armenia was famous in antiquity because of its mineral and vegetable dyes. The coloration of textiles in medieval Armenia was unquestionably helped by the excellent dyes. The variety of Armenian cloths, carpets, cushions, seats, laces, belts, turbans, covers, pillow covers, curtains dyed with Cochineal made primarily in the cities of Artashat and Dvin. Armenia was already famed in antiquity for its horses and exported its wheat and salt. Walnut played a particularly important part in this trade. Trees of enormous thickness were obtained from the forests of Armenia. Armenian masters had knowledge of goldsmithing, of the production of silver and iron, and of the smelting of copper.
Marco Polo about Armenia
THE TRAVELES OF MARCO POLO CHAPTER 1
HERE THE BOOK BEGINS; AND FIRST IT SPEAKS OF THE LESSER ARMENIA.
Let me begin with Armenia. The truth is that there are actually two Armenias, a Greater and a Lesser. Lesser Armenia is the western portion of Armenia, west of the Euphrates, and immediately north of Cappadocia, is bounded on the south by the Promised Land, now in the hands of the Saracens. The Lord of Lesser Armenia is a king who maintains good and just government in his country under the suverainty of the Tartars. It is a land of many villages and towns, amply stocked with all sorts of wild game, both beast and fowl. The climate, however, is far from healthy; it is, in fact, extremely enervating. Armenians, who live intermingled among the Turcomans in villages and towns and make their living by commerce and crafts, besides agriculture. They weave the choicest and most beautiful carpets in the world. They also weave silk fabrics of crimson and other colors, of great beauty and richness, and many kinds of cloth. They are subject to the Tartar Khan of the Levant, who appoint governors to rule them.Let us now leave this province and turn to Greater Armenia. This is a very large province. Near the entrance to it stands a city called Erzrum, in which is made the best buckram in the world and countless other crafts are practiced. Here are the finest baths of spring water to be bound anywhere on earth. The inhabitants are Armenians and vassals of the Tartars. There are many towns and cities, of which the most splendid is Erzincan, which is the seat of an archbishop. The other chief cities are Erzrum and Ercis. In the heart of Greater Armenia is a very high mountain, shaped like a cube, on which Noah’s ark is said to have rested, whence it is called the Mountain of Noah’s Ark. It is so broad and long that it takes more than two days to go round it...
