Ottoman Caravan Route Network

Timeline

1. c. 1400–1500Bursa · AnatoliaAfter unifying Anatolia, the Ottomans integrated trade routes left by the Byzantines and Seljuks, establishing customs stations and inns, connecting the Bursa silk-producing region with the capital and ports.
2. c. 1520–1600Aleppo · Ottoman EmpireAleppo and Damascus became hubs for distributing eastern and western goods; caravans carried spices, silk, and metal vessels, with the imperial customs system and caravan leaders' contracts guaranteeing passage.
3. 1640–1650Istanbul-Baghdad trade route · Mesopotamian corridorAgainst a backdrop of mounting imperial fiscal pressure, caravan trade remained vigorous; trunk routes from Istanbul to Basra and Aleppo carried grain, wool, and re-exported Indian goods, with caravans especially large during the pilgrimage season.
4. 1700–1850Anatolia · AnatoliaCompetition from European trade routes and the rise of 19th-century railways and steamships gradually eroded the camel caravan's trunk-route role, as traditional caravans shifted to regional trade and frontier supply functions.