Database: Emporium of the World

Bowl with Green, Yellow and Brown Splashed Decoration

In Baghdad's bazaars, one could find almost all the products of the known world. Chroniclers wonder at items such as Russian fox skins, Indian sandalwood, or Byzantine goldwork, but most trade involved rather less prestigious precious commodities.

Food staples such as grain, rice, or dates, alongside delicacies such as almonds or sugar, made up the bulk of the loads and shipments. The trade routes also supplied Baghdad with an extensive selection of manufactured goods, from exotic Chinese porcelain to more common Egyptian glass. The style of some of them, such as the Chinese-inspired tri-colored splashed decoration of this plate, were then copied throughout the empire. Nestled in the midst of these wares were some truly expensive products, which wealthy elites from Scandinavia to China craved: Omani ambergris or African ivory.

Most merchants did not specialize in any one type of item, but rather tried to acquire at a low cost whatever commodity they thought they could sell for a profit elsewhere. They then put together their haul in bales, baskets and ceramic containers, loaded them onto beasts of burden or ships, and ventured to the nearest regional market. With the important exception of the Sogdian traders who ran and managed the various routes of the "Silk Roads", merchants rarely went further than a few days away from their home. Besides some extremely important trade hubs such as Baghdad, Samarkand or Bukhara, the presence of travelers from faraway lands would therefore have been a rare sight. But their goods could be sold and resold all across Eurasia.