Millions of people, over decades, have tread on the same paths we walk on today.
Click start to play today’s Spell It, where we go on a historical ‘tangent’ and explore ancient highways.
From serene mountains in Japan to overgrown jungles in Cambodia, humans have left their mark, in the form of age-old pathways and roads. Here are a few to note, according to an April 2019 report in the National Geographic:
1. Nakasendo Highway
A narrow highway, built in the 17th century, once linked Kyoto and Edo (now Tokyo) in Japan. It ran for about 500km along the shores of Lake Biwa and across mountain ranges, right to the Kanto Plain near modern-day Tokyo. The Japanese did not use carts, so pedestrians and horses usually plied the tranquil route. Parts of the highway have since been restored, so you too, can now walk on them as people did hundreds of years ago.
2. King’s Highway
Considered one of the great trade routes of the Middle East, the King’s Highway ran from Egypt to the Gulf of Aqaba and then north to Syria. It passes many important historical and pilgrimage sites, like Mount Nebo in Jordan. From the 7th to 16th century, the road was used by Muslims from Syria, Iraq, and beyond, as they followed it to Makkah for the annual pilgrimage.
3. Amber Road
This ancient trade route was built for the transfer of amber from coastal areas of the North Sea and Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean region. Amber has long been dubbed the ‘gold of the north’ – it was an important commodity and Sicilians were the first to start trading with it. In Roman times, other materials began to be exported along with amber, such as animal fur, honey, and wax. Since this road was so lucrative for the Romans, they guarded it with military fortifications along the route, to protect merchants and traders from Germanic raids.
4. Khmer Highway
An ancient, 225km roadway that swept from Angkor in Cambodia to Phimai in Thailand, the Khmer Highway was an important route in the 12th and 13th centuries, although some reports say it existed even earlier. It was sacred to the Cambodian empire’s deity-kings, who travelled along the highway, visiting different temples and performing ceremonies that involved fire and water. Today, the route is overgrown with jungle, and only slightly visible through aerial photographs.
What do you think of these ancient highways? Play today’s Spell It and tell us at games@gulfnews.com.
