The Eastern Silk Roads Story Conference 2015
A conference on the Eastern Silk Roads Story was organized in Gyeongju, the Republic of Korea, by UNESCO and in collaboration with the provincial government of the Gyeongsangbuk-do province and municipality of Gyeongju, from 1 to 2 December 2015. The conference was attended by scholars from the Republic of Korea, Japan, China and some other countries along the Silk Roads such as Iran and Kazakhstan, as well as representatives of the city of Gyeongju and Gyeongsangbuk-do province.
The XI Multaqa, “Valencia in the Western Silk Roads”
The XI Multaqa, “VALENCIA in the WESTERN SILK ROADS”, was organized in Valencia, Spain from 19th to 21st June, 2015 by the UNESCO Centre Valencia/Mediterráneo.
The First Meeting of the International Network for the Silk Road Online Platform: A new phase in UNESCO’s Silk Roads Initiative
This first meeting of the International Network for the Silk Road Online Platform was held from 22 to 25 May 2015 in Xi’an, China with the participation of focal points and experts from fifteen Member States (China, Egypt, France, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Oman, Russian Federation, Senegal, Spain, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom).
Nowruz: Celebrating the New Year on the Silk Roads
Nowruz is a rite dating back to at least the 6th century BCE, marking the new year and ushering in spring. Variously known as Novruz, Nowrouz, Nooruz, Navruz, Nauroz or Nevruz, this historic rite is observed on 21 March in many countries along the Silk Roads, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Quanzhou: a crucial port along the eastern maritime Silk Roads
Located on the south-east coast of China, the city of Quanzhou was one of the most important Chinese ports along the historic Maritime Silk Roads. Known as Zayton (or Zaitun) by traders arriving from the Arab world, the port has welcomed sailors and travellers from many different cultures and religions as they traversed these routes.
The Republic of Azerbaijan supports the UNESCO Silk Road Online Platform
Throughout its history, Azerbaijan has played an important role in the development of the Silk Roads specially in Caucuses through connecting Central Asia with Anatolia, the Black Sea and the west. Situated on the west coast of the Caspian Sea and at the feet of the Caucasus Mountains, the country has been a pivotal point in the connection of civilizations since ancient times, welcoming merchants from across land and sea, and thus becoming a vital centre for the exchange not only of goods and merchandise, but of ideas, customs, religions and cultures.
The Chang’an-Tian-shan Silk Road Corridor has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
The Chang’an-Tian-shan Silk Road Corridor, one of the major arteries of the historic Silk Roads that opened up trade from China to the west, has become the first stretch of the Silk Road to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The trans-boundary trading corridor, covering some 5,000 kilometers across China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, was in active use from the 2nd century BC until the 16th century AD, connecting cities, peoples and cultures across Central Asia as merchant caravans traversed the mountainous steppe land
The Sultanate of Oman supports the UNESCO Silk Road Online Platform
Situated between Asia and Africa, and providing a safe harbor at the junction of maritime trading routes, Oman has occupied a unique place along the maritime Silk Roads and brought together merchants from east and west for many centuries. Omani towns and ports, such as Sohar and Muscat, provided safe centres where peaceful trade and exchange could take place between sailors, merchants and travelers from across the world, trading in foreign merchandise as well as produce of the neighboring regions.