British Museum Explores ‘Silk Roads’ Trade Routes in New Exhibition

People walk in front of the British Museum in London, Britain, on September 28, 2023. (Reuters)
People walk in front of the British Museum in London, Britain, on September 28, 2023. (Reuters)
TT

British Museum Explores ‘Silk Roads’ Trade Routes in New Exhibition

People walk in front of the British Museum in London, Britain, on September 28, 2023. (Reuters)
People walk in front of the British Museum in London, Britain, on September 28, 2023. (Reuters)

A new exhibition exploring the vast network of the Silk Road trade routes opens at the British Museum in London this week.

Showcasing a range of artifacts including Chinese ceramics, Byzantine jewellery and the earliest known group of chess pieces, "Silk Roads" focuses specifically on the period AD 500 to 1,000, amid the rise of different empires and religions.

"This exhibition is presenting a rather different vision of the Silk Road than some people might be expecting... Rather than a single trade route between east and west, we are showing the Silk Roads plural... as a series of overlapping networks that link communities across Asia, Africa and Europe," exhibition co-curator Sue Brunning told Reuters.

"We're showing that it was not just silk and spices... but also people, objects and ideas moving sometimes great distances, not just by land, but also by sea and river and exchanges taking place in all contexts."

Highlights include loans from central Asia such as a large mural found in the reception hall of an aristocratic house in Samarkand, Uzbekistan and a gilded silver cup from the Galloway Hoard, on loan from the National Museums Scotland.

"Silk Roads" opens on Thursday and runs until February.



Saudi Culture Minister Extends Banan Exhibition to November 30

The exhibition features craft arts, live demonstrations, workshops, interactive experiences, and booths for entrepreneurs and businesses, as well as a children's area. SPA
The exhibition features craft arts, live demonstrations, workshops, interactive experiences, and booths for entrepreneurs and businesses, as well as a children's area. SPA
TT

Saudi Culture Minister Extends Banan Exhibition to November 30

The exhibition features craft arts, live demonstrations, workshops, interactive experiences, and booths for entrepreneurs and businesses, as well as a children's area. SPA
The exhibition features craft arts, live demonstrations, workshops, interactive experiences, and booths for entrepreneurs and businesses, as well as a children's area. SPA

Due to popular demand, Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan extended the Saudi International Handicrafts Week (Banan) Exhibition at Riyadh's Roshn Front until November 30 after touring the event on Wednesday.

The exhibition features craft arts, live demonstrations, workshops, interactive experiences, and booths for entrepreneurs and businesses, as well as a children's area.

More than 500 Saudi artisans and participants from 25 countries are taking part in Banan, a unique platform to celebrate traditional crafts, support artisans, and facilitate the sale of their work.

The Saudi Heritage Commission, which organized the event, aims to raise awareness of handicrafts as an important element of cultural heritage, ensuring their preservation for future generations.