Camel Caravan Network

Timeline

1. 1131–1140Khotan (Hetian) · HetianCaravans traveled west along the chain of oases on the southern rim of the Taklamakan; Bactrian camels carrying hundreds of kilograms crossed the desert and gobi, with cities such as Khotan and Kashgar serving as rest stops and cargo distribution nodes, while the Qarakhanid dynasty levied tariffs and provided protection.
2. 1100–1140Otrar (Ottrar) · KazakhstanNorthern-route caravans reached the Syr Darya basin via the steppe along the northern foothills of the Tianshan, negotiating passage with nomadic powers and transporting furs, horses, and eastern ceramics; towns such as Otrar were key stops for changing horses and resupplying.
3. 1100–1199Rayy (near Tehran) · IranCentral Asian caravans reaching Persia transferred goods to mule trains or ships for further westward transport; the Seljuks and subsequent regimes maintained relay stations along the trade routes, and Arab merchants took over eastern goods here, carrying them on to Baghdad and Damascus.