The Silk Roads Scientific Panel in Bursa

A panel regarding the Silk Roads will be organized on 25 June in Bursa, Turkey, in the framework of the cultural events for the second anniversary of inscription “Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire” in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This panel intends to evoke different themes such as The Silk Road as a Cultural Route, Cultural Routes Planning and Heritage Conservation in Turkey, The Route of Evliya Çelebi and Turkey-Balkans Route. It also aims to review the relevant international activities and UNESCO Silk Roads initiatives, including the Silk Roads Online Platform and the serial nomination of the World Heritage List.

As the first capital of Ottoman Empire, Bursa was one of the most important cities on the Silk Road for its silk production during the Ottoman era. One of the major significant historical events for the city was the inauguration of the silk industry in Byzantium under Emperor Justinian, leading Bursa to eventually become a center of silk production and trade.