<Tr> <Th> Designated </Th> <Td> 2014 (38th session) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Reference no . </Th> <Td> 1442 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Region </Th> <Td> Asia - Pacific </Td> </Tr> <P> The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes connecting the East and West which for centuries was central to cultural interaction between them . The Silk Road refers to both the terrestrial and the maritime routes connecting Asia with the Middle East and southern Europe . </P>

What was the path of the silk road