can the ancient truth be discovered?

Monday, August 20, 2007

TRAVEL TIPS
When to go: Late spring and early autumn are best. Summer is searing on the desert, while the Khunjerab Pass is the best time to go from November to April.
WHAT TO BRING: Clothing for a large range of temperatures and comfortable shoes are a must. If you plan to make day- hikes or longer off-road journeys, consult trekking manuals and hire a local guide.
ACCOMMODATIONS: In some other towns along the Silk Road, for example Karakul Lake and Tashkurgan, conditions range from rustic to primitive--but that's part of the adventure.
Holidays and Festivals: The Silk Road passes through so many different ethnic areas that a comprehensive list would require pages. Notable, however, is Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, which should be avoided if possible. During this period it may be difficult to buy food during daylight hours. The dates of Ramadan move up by about 11 days every year; in 1994 it falls between February 11 and March 12. In Pakistan's Northern Areas, fire-pots are put on the mountainsides at night to mark the Prophet's birthday, which falls this year on August 19 (Aug 9 in 1995 and July 28 in 1996). In Gilgit, Nov 1 marks the beginning of a weeklong polo tournament. Turpan has a grape festival during the third week of August.
Briefing about the Silk Road: Stretching from the eastern shore of China to the city of Istanbul, goods were traded as far away as the Roman Empire. Chinese merchants themselves never made an appearance on the Mediterranean Sea, much less in Rome, nor did any Roman trader ever see the Chinese country side, but in many towns and stopping points trade opened China up to the rest of the world.
Spanning a time period of over a hundred years, the Silk Road was found by one Chang Ch'ien who went to war with neighboring cultures. While a prisoner of war he saw many things he thought would benefit his people, and upon returning home he attempted to set up trade with these people for whom he had been a captive for so long. Horses, which was what Chang originally meant to trade, didn't become very popular for trading, but fur, ceramics, iron, lacquer, cinnamon bark, rhubarb and bronze did. These were goods that were in high demand in other countries. In return, China received gold and other precious metals, wool and linens, ivory, coral, amber, precious stones, asbestos and glass.
Trade on the Silk Road was not easy. For one thing, as previously stated, no one merchant followed his goods to their final destination. Secondly, there was a certain amount of natural dangers to be dealt with while traveling on the Silk Road. Usually, a caravan with goods to trade had to battle highwaymen in some areas known for bandits (meaning almost certain battle for any stranger with cargo) and they also had to have good standing in any oasis where they stopped to trade. One extremely dangers area of the Silk Road - though there were many different routes to be taken - was passing through the Taklamakan Desert and its surrounding mountain terrain. A caravan going through icy mountain passes faced the possibility of freezing to death; if there was ice on the path, then there was also the danger of slipping on the ice and falling into the many ravines below. Avalanches were known to kill many people trying to make the trip, and in the desert itself, sandstorms often wiped out whole caravans, killing the travelers and mummifying the bodies of both man and beast alike. These same sandstorms would often bury the goods being carried as well, sometimes for many years. Guides are also needed when going to the Silk Road.

About ~~Ibn~~ Battuta

Credits

Designer: Cranberrieas - pls don discredit mii. thanxxs

His profile

Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta

He was born February 24, 1304;
year of death uncertain, possibly 1368 or 1377

He was a Berber Sunni Islamic scholar
and jurisprudent from the Maliki Madhhab,
and at times a Qadi or judge.

He is best known as a traveller and explorer,
whose account documents his travels and excursions over a period of almost thirty years,
covering some 73,000 miles (117,000 km).

These journeys covered almost the entirety of the known Islamic world,
extending from present-day West Africa to Pakistan, India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia and China,
a distance readily surpassing that of his predecessor,
near-contemporary Marco Polo.

A crater is named after him on the Moon.
A themed shopping mall in Dubai also bears his name,
with some of his earlier research and inventions in displays scattered throughout its corridors.