It is well known that an evolved network of trade routes criss-crossed pre-Islamic Anatolia in the Seljuk era (11th -13th century AD), running from North to South, and from the Aegean towards the Far East. However, less is known about where travellers stayed and in what conditions. During the 12th century, leaders in the region invested in making the transport of merchandise and people as safe as possible and built approximately 30 caravanserais (also known as Khans or Ribats) in Anatolia before 1243.

A travers leurs nouvelles decouvertes, les auteurs de cet ouvrage nous demontrent l'importance du role joue par les echanges, non seulement de marchandises, mais aussi d'idees, de technologies et de sciences, dans l'elaboration des plus celebres des chemin ouverts par les voyageurs d'aman, les Routes de la soie. Certes, il n'a pas toujours ete aise de maintenir ces echanges, motamment dans les periodes de troubles politiques, mais la ou le passage etait interdit, une autre voie assurait le relais.