G6: Silk Road: Constantinople / Byzantium

Constantinople played a crucial role in the sustainment of the Silk Road in the late Antique and Early Middle Ages, by both importing and exporting various coveted goods, as well as ideals, to and from other countries.

from the 4th century onwards, the “Rome” to which all roads led in the Mediterranean world was “Eastern Rome” or Constantinople.

The Ottoman control of this vast area meant that trade expanded, especially to Western Europe.

Primary Source

Collection of Byzantine artifacts from the Met Museum