The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) will be at FITUR 2012 to promote The Silk Route, which opened the first bridge between East and West and began trade between the empires of China, India, Persia and Rome. This is a chance to follow in the footsteps of Alexander the Great or Marco Polo, exploring a rich cultural, artistic and natural heritage.
The Silk Route is one of the most mythic journeys in History, both for its importance to commerce between East and West and because it meant a joining of cultures and knowledge. At FITUR 2012, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) invites travellers to rediscover the immense tourist attractions along this route. The program includes Albania, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Croatia, North Korea, South Korea, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. In total, 12,000 kilometres along a road that represented the encounter between peoples and cultures, and inspired the exchange of ideas, art and knowledge.
Greece – Delphi
Located on the edge of the Orient, Greece played a fundamental role in the silk trade. Delphi, built on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, was considered the centre of the world by the ancient Greeks. According to the Legend, the father of the Gods, Zeus released two eagles to fly from opposite sides of the earth and that they met exactly over this place.
Japan – Nara
Nara, the old capital of Japan, still conserves buildings that demonstrate the importance of the city for The Silk Route: the Todaiji Temple with its Buddha, the largest bronze statue in the world.
China – Xian
The city of Xian was the capital of the Chinese empire over the course of 11 dynasties, and is considered the point of departure for The Silk Route from the Orient. Xian has one of the jewels of world archaeology: it contains the famous terracotta army made in the 2nd century BC to protect the mausoleum of the first emperor, Qin.
Kazakhstan – Almaty
In the city of Almaty, whose apples were famous along The Silk Route, is the Central State Museum. A visit is essential so as to learn about the history of Kazakhstan. One of the most outstanding pieces depicts the looting carried out by the feared Mongol army during the 13th century in one of the cities.
Uzbekistan – Bukhara
As they crossed the desert, the caravans of traders were guided toward Bukhara thanks to its brilliantly decorated minaret, which rose above the Poi Kalian complex. Outstanding here are the turquoise mosque of Kalian, the second largest in Central Asia, and the Kalian madrasah, for generations dedicated to the study of the Koran.
Azerbaijan – Baku
The capital of Azerbaijan was a political, cultural and economic forum besides being an important trading point for the merchants of Genoa, Venice, Russia and Central Asia. Inside the walls of its historic centre, Icheri Sher, can be found the palace of Shirvanshakh or the Mohammed Ibn Abu Bakr mosque.
Georgia – Uplitsixe
Uplitsixe, founded in the 1st century BC, is one of the most impressive cities to have been excavated from rock. It was destroyed by Khulagu, the son of Genghis Khan, but today travellers can still walk through its ancient streets, see its theatre and pharmacy, and imagine what daily life might have been like in that period.
Armenia – Etchmiadzin
Armenia was a key point along The Silk Route. The city of Etchmiadzin has monuments like the cathedral, the oldest church in the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as its official religion.
Jordan – Petra
The Nabataens made Petra, in Jordan, not only a spectacular treasure excavated from the rock but a key stopping point along The Silk Route that connected China with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Italy.
Italy – Venice
One of the points of departure or return on The Silk Route in Europe, Venice is the commercial hub par excellence of this journey. It is the city of Marco Polo, one of the first Westerners to travel from Europe to Asia to open this passage.
