China: Image of Chinese princess bringing silk worm eggs to Khotan concealed in her hair. Painting on wood from Dandan Oilik, Taklamakan Desert, Xinjiang

Dandan Oilik is a deserted historical town and desert oasis in the Taklamakan Desert of China. Dandan Oilik was an important (though small) centre of local Buddhism and trade on the Silk Road. Its name means 'Houses of Ivory' and has been the site of a small number of significant archeological finds.

Having been abandoned many hundreds of years ago, the oasis was found and lost to shifting desert sands several times. Most recently, a German expedition led by Christoph Baumer found the city based on the accounts of previous explorers such as Sir Aurel Stein, and uncovered relics dating to the 7th and 8th centuries. They also marked its GPS position, and the city is now being studied by Chinese archeologists.

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Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd

Credit:

Pictures From History

Theme:

SILK ROAD