This articles lists cities located along the Silk Road. The Silk Road was a network of ancient trade routes which connected Europe with the Far East, spanning from the Mediterranean Sea to the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The Silk Road’s eastern end is in present-day China, and its main western end is Antioch.

It linked China with many regions of the Old World in commerce between 119 BC and around 1400 AD. In fact, the Silk Road can be divided into the “overland Silk Roads” and the “Maritime Silk Road”. Now, we usually refer to the northern overland Silk Road as the Silk Road in China.

Silk Road was an online black market and the first modern darknet market, best known as a platform for selling illegal drugs….Silk Road (marketplace)

The Spice Routes, also known as Maritime Silk Roads, is the name given to the network of sea routes that link the East with the West. They stretch from the west coast of Japan, through the islands of Indonesia, around India to the lands of the Middle East – and from there, across the Mediterranean to Europe.

Silk has a smooth, soft texture that is not slippery, unlike many synthetic fibers. Silk is one of the strongest natural fibers, but it loses up to 20% of its strength when wet. It has a good moisture regain of 11%. Its elasticity is moderate to poor: if elongated even a small amount, it remains stretched.

For the next two-and-a-half centuries, Spain controlled a vast trade network that linked three continents: Asia, the Americas and Europe. A global spice route had been created: from Manila in the Philippines (Asia) to Seville in Spain (Europe), via Acapulco in Mexico (North America).

The spice trade routes were also important to the Europeans as it contributed to the development of Europe’s maritime capabilities. Spice trade had grown to be an important element to the European economy and investing in ships to facilitate and enhance the trade was the prudent move.