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Article: The Oriental Silk Road : A 3,500-mile journey across the asian portion of the silk route begins in beijing and ends in the bracingly exotic country of uzbekistan.
- Article from:
- The World and I
- Article date:
- April 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 News World Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Since childhood, I've been enchanted by the adventures of Marco Polo and tales of Tamerlane's empire centered in the fabled cities of Bukhara and Samarqand. So, I jumped at the opportunity to join a small group on an expedition along the Asian portion of the longest historical wonder of the world.
The Silk Road was one of humankind's mightiest rivers of commerce, culture, and conquest. Its many branches wove through the heart of Asia and Europe, linking an immense area that stretched from Rome and Russia all the way across Persia and Turkistan into eastern China. For centuries, caravans ventured across some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth to buy and ...