Referring to the ancient trade route, the Silk Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade dating back to 200 BC. Stretching as far as Italy in the west and China in the east, the complex trade route covered over 6500km overland and via sea. Many items were traded along the Silk Road including silk, satin, hemp, musk, perfumes, spices, medicines, jewels, glassware, as well as slaves. Along the Silk Road in Turkey you can see caravanserais, which were used as shelter for travelling tradesmen and their camels.
