2017 49c & $1.15 World Heritage Sites Along the Silk Roads, United Nations

World Heritage Sites Stamps Highlight the Ancient Silk Roads

On August 9, 2017, the United Nations Postal Administration issued six stamps (two from each issuing office) featuring important historic sites along the ancient trade routes known as the Silk Roads.  Stamps issued by the New York UN office picture the Longmen Grottoes in China and the Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain in Kyrgyzstan.  The Silk Roads were listed as UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) World Cultural Heritage sites in 2014.

The Silk Roads were interconnected routes throughout Asia.  Though they were meant to be used as trade routes for raw materials, luxury goods, and food, they also encouraged exchanges of culture, knowledge, and beliefs.