The Silk Road (Silk Route) is a series of trade and cultural transmission routes that were central to cultural interaction through regions of the Asian continent. It connects the Roman Empire in the west with the imperial court of China in the east by linking traders, merchants, pilgrims, monks, soldiers, nomads and urban dwellers from China to the Mediterranean Sea during various periods of time.

The Silk Road connects Luoyang in China, with Asia Minor and the Mediterranean, extending over 8,000 km on land and sea. The trade route was initiated around 114BC by the Han Dynasty by extending its military defense into central Asia to protect the caravans carrying silk to the western edges of the region. As it extends westwards from the commercial centers of North China, Silk Road divides into north and south routes to avoid the Tibetan Plateau.

Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Indian subcontinent and Rome, helping to lay the foundations for the modern world.