Across Asia, from China to Europe exist a number of ancient cities that were key markers on the Silk Road. From Xi’an in the East of China, where the route began, to Istanbul on the edge of Europe, these cities were for centuries the key trading hubs for the exchange of goods, religions and ideas from East to West.

Many of these cities now lay deserted, relics in the dust of history but most survive; their ancient walls, monuments and temples still intact. And today traders still exchange goods just as they did hundreds of years ago.

In this episode of Bazaar, we visit Xi’an, Hotan and Kashgar in China. Osh, Samarkand, Bukhara and Merv in Central Asia, Aleppo and Damascus in the Middle East, Istanbul and Venice.