The Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran, Iran has established the Iranian Research Center on the Silk Roads. The Center is a scientific and academic institution, and a unique academic research center in Iran to focus on the Silk Roads.

History

The Kazakh Research Institute of Culture (KazRIC), established November 10th, 1934, was one of the first scientific institutions in Kazakhstan. Originally, it united several scientific and educational organizations: the Kazakh Central Archive, the Regional Museum, the Regional Bureau and the State Library.

Myanmar served as a significant ‘hub’ in the cross-cultural transfer of objects, traditions, techniques and artistic influences that flowed from China through Central Asia, Western Asia as far as Europe (and vice versa) –  both by land and maritime routes. The reasons for this were Myanmar’s geographical location, long coastline with many ports and its river access to China.

Central Asia has a rich architectural heritage from the sixteenth to the early nineteenth centuries.  Both the Mughal Empire in India and the Mongol Empire in northern Central Asia have left distinctive architectural traces which shed a new light on the development of urban space in this era. City planning was important, and new architectural methods were developed in religious architecture (for example, mosques, religious schools, and hospices) and civic architecture (such as trading complexes, baths, caravanserais, and bridges).  

The art of healing was very important in Buddhism, since the Buddha himself emphasized that health is among the most precious goods a person can possess. Hospitals were established in the Sri Lankan capital Anuradhapura from the 4^th century BC onwards, and several Sri Lankan kings had medical knowledge. A large number of hospitals for different diseases were subsequently set up in the country, which were used both by the people and by Buddhist monks.

The ICOMOS International Conservation Center-Xi’an (IICC-X) is an international research, training and cooperation center, established as an initiative of ICOMOS China. Its purpose is to support international and regional cooperation for the conservation of monuments, sites and their settings in Asia and the Pacific.

Gyeongju, a capital city with a history of thousand years is located in an area with rich culture and many historical remains including ones of the Silk Roads. Various protective restrictions, such as the ‘Culture Properties Protection Law’ of Korea, have provoked many conflicts and civil complaints because the Law prevents Gyeongju local residents from developing their lands and real estate.

The Institute of International Maritime Affairs was founded in May 2005 having the intention of stimulating the research works of humanities and social sciences with relation to the ocean and developing the interdisciplinary activities with other research fields, as well as setting up the educational-industrial-governmental-academic complex and helping to make the policies for region developments.

Built between 1482 and 1533, this group of buildings was originally used for trading in silk (hence its name, the Silk Exchange) and it has always been a centre for commerce. It is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture. The grandiose Sala de Contratación (Contract or Trading Hall), in particular, illustrates the power and wealth of a major Mediterranean mercantile city in the 15^th and 16^th centuries.