Six Most Famous Ancient Highways in the World
Highways are not things of yesterday. They have been around since ancient times. And while auto transport is definitely not one of the reasons ancient highways were built, these historic roads served pretty much the same purpose as today’s highways. The following is a list of the world’s most famous ancient highways.
1.The Nakasendo Highway in Japan
The Nakasendo Highway dates back to the 17th century. It is a narrow road that links Kyoto and Edo, which is modern-day Tokyo. Built along the route of an older trail, the Nakasendo Highway ran 310 miles (500 kilometers) along Lake Biwa’s shores. It also went down onto the Kanto Plain, which is around Tokyo, and passed across mountain ranges. Since the Japanese did not use carts, the Nakasendo Highway was built to be used by pedestrians and horses.
2. The Khmer Highway in Cambodia and Thailand
The Khmer Highway is another ancient road that ran 140 miles (225 kilometers). It passed between Angkor in Cambodia and Phimai in Thailand. “God-Kings”, which was a Cambodian empire, considered the Khmer Highway sacred. They used it to visit temples and carry out various religious ceremonies that involved water, fire, and stone phallic sculptures, commonly known as “linga”. Today, nature has reclaimed a huge chunk of this highway. However, the section near Phimai is still pretty much in good condition and can be used to visit most of the temples found near the highway.
3. The Persian Royal Road That Ran from Turkey to Iran
No road screams “ancient” like the Persian Royal Road. That is because Darius himself built this road. Well, if you do not know who Darius was, he was one of the greatest kings of Persia. He built the Persian Royal Road to link the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf. That being said, the highway ran from Sardis in northwest Turkey and crossed Mesopotamia before getting to Susa in Iran. According to history, prominent historical figures, including King Midas, Herodotus the historian, Queen Esther, all-conquering Alexander the Great, and prophet Daniel, all used this road.
4. The Old North Trail in North America
When it was first built and in full operation, the Old North Trail stretched almost 2,000 miles, an equivalent of 3,220 kilometers. It ran from Canada to Mexico and was mostly used by the Blackfeet Indians. This group of individuals would take up to four years to move from one end of the road to another. They used the road for trading purposes as well as to make sacred journeys. Some even used it to find wives, according to history. Today, this ancient highway is still visible, albeit in a fragmented form. Well, to see its fragments, visit Glacier National Park in Montana.
5. The Via Egnatia That Ran from Albania to Turkey
As its name suggests, the Via Egnatia was built by Gnaeus Egnatius, a Roman proconsul. It was built in the first century B.C. so it could link the Adriatic with the Aegean Sea and the Bosporus. The Via Egnatia became one of the most important highways during the ancient period. Needless to say, countless groups, including the Greeks, Ottomans, Venetians, Crusaders, Austrians, and, of course, Romans, used it.
6. The King’s Highway That Ran from Egypt to Syria
This was a famous route during the ancient period. Running from Egypt and across Sinai before passing the Gulf of Aqaba and then moving north into Syria, the King’s Highway was understandably one of the greatest trade routes for those from the Middle East. Furthermore, this ancient route passed several pilgrimage sites, including Mt. Nebo, where Moses is believed to have seen the Promised Land.
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