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Marco Polo was arguably the most famous Western explorer to travel the Silk Road, and his records showed people its abundant trade and fortune.

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The Silk Road began in Xi'an, China, during the Han Dynasty, which existed simultaneously with the great Roman empire. Upper class Romans wore silk as a sign of luxury, and merchants travelled along the Silk Road to sell it in Western Europe.

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A modern photo of Kashgar, located in the northwest region of Xinjiang province.

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Kashgar served as a major trading center in the Silk Road, located on a fertile oasis between desert and mountains. Its abundant agriculture continues this tradition. Its prominence in the Silk Road resulted in it being conquered by Muslim Turks; today, the residents in the city are of Uyghur ethnicity, distinct from the Han Chinese.

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Located between China and the Mediterranean, Samarkand exemplified contributions to the Silk Road beyond exotic goods. Its leaders created a high-street with shops to build merchant economy, and attracted scholars through observatories where scientific learning was spread.

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Merv was a prime city for Silk Road trade, but also fell victim to conquests; the Mongols destroyed the city in the 13th century.

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As a trading center and "heart" of the Silk Road, Merv fell under the rule of several empires during its existence. At the beginning of the 9th century, it served as the Islamic caliphate's capital, and eventually as the capital of the Seljuk empire. It produced textiles like silk, gave rise to many influential scholars, and served as a crucial connector of caravan routes from Western to Eastern Asia.

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Constantinople's natural harbor and location between Europe and Asia allowed it to flourish as a busy trading center in the Silk Road.

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Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire, and one of the wealthiest and most spectacular cities of the time. It represented the end of the Silk Road. Aside from silk, its most significant exports were Christian holy relics that spread Christianity eastward as far as China through the Silk Road. Nestorian Christianity, which originated in the Byzantine Empire, even reached China, though it did not take root.