Islamic Caravan Network

Timeline

1. c. 750–900Baghdad · IraqAfter the Abbasid Empire unified West Asia and North Africa, Baghdad became a caravan distribution hub; camel caravans linked India, Africa, and Byzantine frontiers via the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and overland routes, forming a cross-regional trade system.
2. c. 950–1040Cairo · EgyptAfter the Fatimids controlled Egypt, Cairo connected via the Red Sea to Yemen and India, while North African trade routes linked the Maghreb with Andalusia; the gold dinar and silver dirham became cross-regional currencies.
3. 1041–1050Samarkand · UzbekistanIn the 1040s the Islamic caravan network spanned three continents; hub cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Damascus, and Cairo teemed with merchants, with Turkic and Persian merchants dominating the Central Asian segment, while Jewish and Christian merchants also participated in Mediterranean trade.
4. c. 1055–1200Isfahan · IranAfter the Seljuk Sultanate controlled Anatolia and Persia, the focus of trade routes shifted westward, with Isfahan as the new capital; the caravan network adjusted its routes amid the Crusades and political fragmentation but continued to operate.