Silk Road
The Silk Road
The Silk Road was not a single road, but a network of routes linking the Mediterranean world with Central Asia and East Asia. For the purposes of this project, the Silk Road serves as both a historical reference and a conceptual fallback route for long-distance overland travel.
A general historical overview of the Silk Road can be found on Wikipedia:
Canonical Silk Road route (schematic)
<mapframe width="100%" height="380" zoom="3" text="Silk Road (schematic)"> {
"type": "LineString", "coordinates": [ [28.9784, 41.0082], [35.2137, 31.7683], [44.3661, 33.3152], [51.3890, 35.6892], [66.9900, 39.6542], [75.9898, 39.4677], [87.6168, 43.8256], [108.9398, 34.3416] ]
} </mapframe>
This schematic map shows a simplified west–east alignment of the Silk Road, connecting the eastern Mediterranean with Central Asia and onward to China. It is intended as a conceptual guide rather than a precise reconstruction of every historical branch.
Modern travel considerations
Modern political borders, visa regimes, and regional stability strongly influence whether portions of the historical Silk Road can be followed in practice.
In particular, access through Iran has a significant impact on the continuity of overland routes between Türkiye, Central Asia, and western China.
Future sections may present alternative routings depending on geopolitical access.
Relationship to this Grand Tour
The Silk Road represents a historically grounded fallback alignment for long-distance stages across Eurasia.
Its symbolism — slow travel, trade routes, caravans, and cultural exchange — also informs the visual and thematic identity of this project.