Heidi Norton
The Incense Route was a network of trade routes that stretched over 1,200 miles, facilitating the transport of incense and other aromatics, spices, and luxury goods from the southern Arabian coast to the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean ports. The trade route was in use from around the 7th century BC until the 2nd century CE, with goods carried by traders and their camel caravans, stopping at various cities and fortresses along the way. The Incense Route was important not only for the trade of exotic goods but also for the cultural exchange it enabled, with people sharing their language, culture, and religion as they travelled.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Length | Over 1,200 miles or 2,000 kilometres |
| Trade | Incense, aromatics, spices, gold, animal skins, pearls, cinnamon, pepper, myrrh, frankincense, luxury goods |
| Trade Partners | Egypt, India, Greece, Israel, Yemen, Oman, Jordan, Arabia, Babylonia, Italy, Rome, Sumerian-Magan people of Dilmun and Qatar |
| Trading Posts | Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat, Shivta, Kazra, Nekarot, Makhmal, Grafon, Moa, Saharonim, Yathrib, Dedan, Hegra, Aqaba, Caesarea, Gaza, Aden, Mecca, Bosra, Petra, Gerrha, Shabwa, Heroonpolis, Farasan Isles, Muza, Ocelis |
| Time Period | 7th century BC to 2nd century AD; 3rd century BCE to 4th century CE |
| Trade Routes | Land and sea |
| Traders | Merchants, Nabateans, Romans, Arabs, Yemenites, Muslims, Israelites, Aramaeans, Phoenicians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Himyarites |
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What You'll Learn
- The Incense Route was a network of trade routes extending over 2000 kilometres
- The trade routes included both sea and land-based trade
- Frankincense and myrrh were traded from the Yemen and Oman in the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean
- The incense trade connected different parts of the world, facilitating the exchange of culture, religion, and language
- The Incense Route was active from the 7th century BC to the 2nd century AD
The Incense Route was a network of trade routes extending over 2000 kilometres
The Incense Route was a network of trade routes extending over 2,000 kilometres, used by merchants to carry frankincense and myrrh from Yemen and Oman, through the Negev Desert, to the Mediterranean port in Gaza. The route was traversed by traders and their camel caravans, with around 65 stops along the way where they could rest, recharge and sell their goods.
The Incense Route was in use from the 7th century BC until the 2nd century CE, reflecting the prosperity of the Nabatean incense trade over a 700-year period. The four Nabatean towns of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta, with their associated fortresses and agricultural landscapes, are situated on a segment of this route in southern Israel. These towns stretched across a 100-kilometre section of the desert, from Moa on the Jordanian border in the east to Haluza in the northwest.
The Incense Route was an important trade network, not only because it supplied foreign and exotic goods but also because it helped to interconnect different parts of the world. In addition to physical products, people also exchanged culture, religion and language along these routes. The trade with Arabia and India in incense and spices became increasingly important, and the Greeks began to trade directly with India for the first time.
The Incense Route was also significant in the history of the Arabian Peninsula. During the political and economic crisis of the third century, the nature of the trade changed dramatically. While the incense route from South Arabia seems to have continued to function, much of the trade was brought to a standstill by poor economic conditions. However, when the economic situation improved under the Tetrarchy, the two main routes in use had changed.
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The trade routes included both sea and land-based trade
The Incense Route was a network of trade routes that extended over 2,000 kilometres. It included both sea and land-based trade, with the land-based trade routes transitioning to maritime routes towards the end of the first century BCE. The Incense Route facilitated the transport of aromatics (specifically frankincense and myrrh) and luxury goods from the southern Arabian coast to Mediterranean and Indian Ocean ports.
Traders in southern Arabia would make inflatable rafts out of animal skin, using them to float bundles of incense out to waiting ships on the Arabian Sea. From there, the boats would sail up the Red Sea to deliver the incense to Egyptian ports. The incense trade was of great importance to Egypt, as evidenced by early ritual texts that show incense being brought to the upper Nile by land traders, and frescos dated to around 1500 BCE on the walls of the temple at Thebes, which commemorate the journey of a fleet sent by the Queen of Egypt to the Land of Punt.
The land-based trade routes were also of great importance. The four Nabatean towns of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat, and Shivta, with their associated fortresses and agricultural landscapes, were situated along a segment of this route in the Negev Desert in southern Israel. They stretch across a 100-kilometre section of the desert, from Moa on the Jordanian border in the east to Haluza in the northwest. The Nabateans primarily controlled this route, operating four major cities and multiple fortresses protecting the route from robbers. The route took about 62 days to traverse, with around 65 stops along the way where traders and their camel caravans could rest and recharge.
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Frankincense and myrrh were traded from the Yemen and Oman in the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean
The Incense Route was a network of trade routes that stretched over two thousand kilometres. It facilitated the transport of frankincense and myrrh from Yemen and Oman in the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean. This trade flourished from the 3rd century BCE until the 2nd century CE.
Frankincense and myrrh were among the world's most coveted commodities for several hundred years before and after the birth of Christ. They were crucial to the economy of Yemen and were recognised as a source of wealth by its rulers. The incense trade routes attracted settlers from the Fertile Crescent to Yemen. The incense was also highly valued in Egypt, where it was used in embalming. The pharaohs believed that burning it allowed them to commune with the gods.
The four Nabatean towns of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat, and Shivta, with their associated fortresses and agricultural landscapes, were situated along a segment of the Incense Route in the Negev Desert in southern Israel. They stretch across a hundred-kilometre section of the desert, from Moa on the Jordanian border in the east to Haluza in the northwest. These towns were supported by highly sophisticated systems of water collection and irrigation that allowed large-scale agriculture.
The incense trade route was not limited to land but also included sea-based trade. In the third century, the nature of the trade changed dramatically due to a political and economic crisis. The two main routes in use after the crisis were the Wadi Sirhan and Aila, receiving goods from India and Arabia.
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The incense trade connected different parts of the world, facilitating the exchange of culture, religion, and language
The Incense Route was a network of trade routes that extended over two thousand kilometres. It facilitated the transport of frankincense and myrrh from Yemen and Oman in the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean. The route was controlled by a local population called the Nabateans, who operated four major cities along the way—Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat, and Shivta—as well as multiple fortresses protecting the route from robbers.
The Incense Route also connected the Mediterranean Sea to the Gulf of Persia, with Gerrha being one of the most crucial trading places. Gerrha was established as a Chaldean colony by Babylonian exiles and influenced the routes across the Mediterranean from Arabia while controlling the aromatics trade to Babylon during the first century BC. It was a crucial entry point for commodities from India, and its prominent position in the incense trade attracted many settlers from the Fertile Crescent to Yemen.
The Incense Route also connected Oman to Yemen, Shabwa to Gaza, Heroonpolis to Aden, and Mecca to Bosra. In addition to incense, gold, animal skins, and pearls were traded along these routes. The towns and forts, combined with their trade routes and agricultural hinterland, provide a complete picture of the Nabatean desert civilisation strung along a trade route. The remains of the towns, fortresses, and caravanserais mostly express the outstanding universal value of the property as reflecting and exemplifying the prosperity of the Nabatean incense trade.
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The Incense Route was active from the 7th century BC to the 2nd century AD
The Incense Route was a network of trade routes that stretched over 1,200 miles, facilitating the exchange of aromatics (such as frankincense and myrrh) and luxury goods from Southern Arabia to the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean ports. This route was active from the 7th century BC to the 2nd century AD, and during this period, merchants travelled across ancient lands, connecting Oman to Yemen, Shabwa to Gaza, Herroonpolis to Aden, and Mecca to Bosra.
The Incense Route played a significant role in interconnecting different parts of the world, not just through the exchange of goods but also through the sharing of culture, religion, and language. It is believed that the route was first mentioned in a poem by the Greek lyric poet Sappho in the 7th century BC. The poem, which described the wedding of Andromache and Hector, included references to fragrances, including frankincense, adding a touch of exotic luxury to the scene.
The Incense Route was controlled by a local population called the Nabateans, who operated four major cities along the way: Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat, and Shivta. These cities, situated in the Negev Desert in southern Israel, were supported by highly sophisticated water collection and irrigation systems, allowing for large-scale agriculture. The Nabateans also built the city of Petra, which stood halfway between the opening to the Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea, at a crossroads of the Incense Route from Arabia to Damascus.
The Incense Route was of great economic importance, especially to Yemen, where frankincense and myrrh trees were a crucial source of wealth. In 25 BCE, the Roman Emperor Augustus sent Aelius Gallus, an Egyptian prefect, to take control of Yemen and the Incense Route. Although the second part of his mission failed, the first part succeeded, and Gallus discovered the origins of frankincense within Yemen at the port of Aden. This led to an increase in sea trade within the Red Sea, as Roman ships could now sail directly to Yemeni ports to collect goods.
Despite the eventual decline of the incense trade, the routes remained active for various purposes, including royalty, military campaigns, migration, family visits, and religious pilgrimages. The Incense Route left a lasting impact on the world, with many trading posts, temples, and ancient cities recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites today.
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Frequently asked questions
The Incense Route was a network of trade routes that stretched over 2,000 kilometres to facilitate the transport of incense and spices from Southern Arabia to the Mediterranean.
Frankincense and myrrh were the main goods traded on the Incense Route. Other aromatics, spices, gold, animal skins and pearls were also traded.
According to Pliny the Elder, the route took about 62 days to traverse with around 65 stops along the way.
Many trading posts, temples and cities lie in ruins, but several have been recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in recent decades.
