The+Course

__**The Course **__    The Silk Road travels from the Mediterainean to the farthest eastern point of China. There were two main routes, the Southern Route and the Northern Route. The Northern Route (told from starting point of east China)split into three sections in the Chinese provence of Gansu. This split sent two roads toward the Taklamakan Desert and the other road went north to the mountains. The road split many times and went through towns such as Koakand in the Ferghana Valley, Kashgar a town on the Tuman River, and Bactra in the Hindu Kush mountian range. The Southern Route was a much smaller more simple route. This was because       it stayed on mainly one course with roads leading to the shores on the Indian Ocean. It went through the ancient cities Taxila, Mathura, Begram, as well as Tamluk and Masulipatam on the ocean shore. It traveled through north India,and modern day Pakistan and Iran. It rejoins the Northern route at Merv and then as one route stops at the Mediterranean where boats would take goods through the Mediterranean to Italy and other European countries. Also they would take the Nile to go to Alexandria. 

__**The Sea**__ There were other parts of the Silk Road on the water. One sea route started at the Red River in China and from there on traveled to the Malacca Straights in Southwest Asia. Then continuing through India and into the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Some goods even traveled the Nile in Egypt before entering the Mediterranean. On the Nile the boats would go to Alexandria and sell and buy goods there as well before reaching the Mediterranean. On the Southern Route there were roads going to the sea, at the ports they would take the merchandise and sail the coast stopping at all the cities along it. Part of the sea route was the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. Also some traders went across from China to Japan to sell goods there. The water routes were an important part of the Silk Road they quickly went from shore to shore with the trading merchandise.

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