The civilizational endowment of Armenia to the Great Silk Road was determined by the export of its own materials and products, importation of goods, their conveyance to other countries, partaking in international money circulation, maintenance and shield of trade pathways.

Discover the Great Silk Road

Great Armenia, which included Sofena, Little Armenia, and from the 1st century BC, part of Cilicia, at the junction of commerce passages between the West and the East, initially occupied an advantageous geographical position, which contributed to the upgrowth of political, cultural and economic bonds with the countries of the Ancient World.

Having a developed economy, Armenian kings entered into political alliances with neighboring states, promoted trade and economic ties, cultural ties with countries of Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Numerous manuscripts and archaeological research have revealed evidence of a highly developed civilization in the Armenian Highlands: Great Armenia was on a par with advanced civilizations and ancient peoples.

In Artashat, Tigranakert, Antioch were found chariots, inlaid daggers, spears, household utensils, bronze bracelets, carnelian beads, ceramics, gold jewelry, precious stones, coins, including the Tigran the Great.

In a rich country, large and small cities flourished with water supply, paved squares and streets, palaces of kings and noble citizens. Almost no uncultivated land remained. New forests landed, inhabited by fallow deer, chamois, deer, kulans, boars.

Via the ports of the Black and Mediterranean Seas, trade channels conjoined Armenia with Persia, India, China, and other countries. In the XI century Armenians had to recapture the part of Cilicia, now from the Greeks.

Xenophon wrote about the abundance of wheat, barley, raisins, leguminous fruits, wine, lard, sesame, pistachio, almond oil, beer, goats, sheep, bulls, cows, pigs, chickens, and horses in Armenia.

Export trade from Armenia

Surplus products went for export. Armenia supplied many countries, and later Rome, with plant and mineral dyes – madder grass, the roots of which contain coloring matter, cochineal, purple dye, ink nuts, etc. The intensive development of crafts – pottery, blacksmithing, jewelry, textile stimulated trade.

Armenian horses and scaffolding were in demand, especially walnut, sodium salt, red and yellow arsenic, mountain resin, mercury, vitriol, silver, and lead.

Not only goods from Armenia, but also masters were very popular. The surviving ancient chronicle states: «The Cilician Armenian kings are ready to conclude trade agreements with the Venetian merchants if they cease to steal the Armenian masons.»

Valery Bryusov capaciously and figuratively said about the last bastion of Armenian statehood – the Cilician kingdom: “The Cilician kingdom of the XIII-XIV centuries was one of the centers of the spiritual life of all mankind. Armenia managed to create a center of true culture, withstanding a struggle with all of Asia. ”

Commerce pathways became the routes of subversive forays of nomadic tribes. Due to the genocide, Armenia suffered deformation and hereafter the complete demolition of trade, economic and cultural activities in most of Armenia.

Hope this article will make you think about traveling to Armenia and to see this historical country with Silk Road Armenia!