For many people the Silk Road conjures up images of caravans of baggage-laden camels ploughing a dusty path across Asia. As the title of this guide suggests, however, the route was never a single superhighway rather a series of smaller trade paths* which, once united, formed an intricate network between the Mediterranean and the Orient. For over one thousand years it was the most important and best-known trade route in the world, transporting not just silk but all manner of exotic goods such as jade, gunpowder and rhubarb. Just as importantly, this increase in interaction brought about the spread of many of the ideas and beliefs that have formed the basis of civilization, from the wheel to the great religions of Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. Yet it was unusual for an individual traveller to make the entire journey himself; instead merchants would trade back and forth across their 'patchf with goods often changing hand a dozen times before reaching their ultimate destination. Therefore, anyone managing to complete the whole trip is recreating his or her own piece of history and joining one of the few clubs to count as members Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Marco Polo.

The Silk Roads tie together some of the most fantastic and romantic attractions in Asia and nearly all the sights which made the routes famous have been preserved. From the mosques of Damascus and the archaeological wonders of Palmyra, the routes wound their way past the standing stones of Nemrut Dagi, skirted Persia's extravagant palaces, trod the Golden Road to Samarkand and joined up with the Great Wall of China. The list goes on and on.

Following the collapse of the Mongol empire, however, and advances in sea travel, the land routes slipped into neglect and obscurity. They became synonymous as much with danger as with mythical treasures. It was left to the minds of poets and dreamers to drift eastwards past the once glorious cities of Esfahan, Khiva, Xifan and Xanadu, while real-life explorers ran into the innumerable obstacles presented when crossing so many modern, political boundaries. It was only in the early '90s, following the collapse of the old USSR, that unrestricted travel to Central Asia became viable. Similarly, Syria, Iran and China have once again begun to welcome independent visitors and the opening of the Karakorum Highway has revived another significant branch.

Thus, despite the events following September 11th, all the countries included in this guide are accessible as never before. We have suggested a series of routes and itineraries in each region to take in as many of the old Silk Roads as possible, making it a unique opportunity to witness the marvels that Asia has to offer before coachloads of the less adventurous arrive.

* Note , however, that in order not to confuse readers by switching between the Silk Road (singular) and the Silk Roads (plural), throughout this book when discussing sections of the route or the entire network, we have opted for the singular form, the Silk Road, that being the generally accepted form.