Ecological conditions governed the pattern of Mongol nomadic pastoral life. Competition for the control of resources, and the practicalities of life on the Mongolian Steppes determined the lifestyle, ...

Education in arts and sciences was often directed by religious institutions in the Middle Ages. Mosques, maktabs (elementary religious schools) and madrasas (secondary religious schools) were ...

Hoi An, an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional Asian trading port, is an outstanding material manifestation of the fusion of cultures over time in an international maritime ...

Porcelain is a material made from well-chosen porcelain clay or pottery stone through technological processes like proportioning, molding, drying and firing. Although porcelain developed from pottery, ...

Religious movements and religions have had an important role on the history of the Silk Roads. It is notably the case of Buddhism which had a considerable influence on the early trade routes. Within ...

The inland routes of the Silk Roads were dotted with caravanserais, large guest houses or hostels designed to welcome travelling merchants and their caravans as they made their way along these trade ...

This article explores the spread of plague, known as ‘the Black Death’, across the Silk Roads of the 14 th Century CE. It examines ways in which people responded to the disease and looks at how we can ...

A collection of 22 invaluable original documents including imperial edicts issued by the Yuan Emperors, religious edicts issued by the Imperial Preceptors and orders from Tibetan political rulers ...

A large and impressive network of sea routes that linked the East and West stretching from the west coast of Japan, through the Islands of Indonesia, around the Indian subcontinent to the Iranian ...

The first museum in Afghanistan was established in 1919 at the Bagh-i-Bala palace overlooking Kabul, and consisted of manuscripts, miniatures, weapons and art objects belonging to the former royal ...

During the Middle Ages, Baghdad acted as an important crossroads for trade routes (by land, river and sea). It served as a lively hub for trade within the region, and especially with neighbouring ...

Islam was brought to the Malay archipelago by traders, and it soon replaced earlier beliefs among the Malays. Fundamental principles of the Shafi’i school of Sunni Islam were adopted, but certain ...