Quanzhou
Quanzhou, a city in southeastern China, was one of the most critical destinations on the Silk Road trade route. Representing the maritime Silk Road, the city port of Zayton was important because it welcomed travelers and sailors from the Arab world (“Quanzhou,” n.d.). Quanzhou was an important city in the Silk Road because its Zayton port provided ships of different sizes, setting sail and docking provinces, and a vigorous market in which merchants from different regions traded their wares (“Quanzhou,” n.d). The South China and shipwrecks excavated in Quanzhou Bay ensured the prosperity of the Zayton port.
Furthermore, Quanzhou was vital because it had a three-masted ocean-going commercial vessel, which expanded the Silk Road business. For example, as the vessel returned to southeast China, it was loaded with medicines, spices, and other merchandise (“Quanzhou,” n.d). Quanzhou, in addition to being the center hub for exchanges and commerce along the maritime Silk Roads, was also a leader in the development of sailing technologies and shipbuilding.
Bam
Bam, a city in the southeast corner of Iran, is in thecrossroads of the Silk Road trade routes. Surrounded by the desert, the city was nourished by the underground irrigation canals that ran through the region. Bam was important to the Silk Road because it secured the eastern approaches to the plateau, serving as a trade point for merchants and a shelter for travelers (“Bam,” n.d.).
Cotton goods, including napkins, cloth for turbans, and headscarves, were manufactured in the city and exported to Mesopotamia. Bam had three massive mosques protected by a strong city wall, indicating the support for the Islamic religion among Silk Road traders (“Bam,” n.d.). The city was the center of traffic from the Gulf nations to the south, Egypt to the West, and Central Asia to the east, enriched by various ideas, goods, and cultures.
References
BaM | Silk Roads Programme. (n.d.).
Quanzhou | Silk Roads Programme. (n.d.).