Laila was a trader from the Arabian Peninsula, she was a Bedouin woman that used to travel in caravans to Mesopotamia all the way to Turkey and back to the Arabian peninsula. She would gather many items such as pottery, weaved rugs, silks cloth, and spices as well as jewelry made in the Arabian peninsula what is now known as Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the other gulf states. These desert lands were harsh and dangerous to transverse. She had crossed deserts by camel caravans that comprised of up to thirty to four camels and a group of merchants that traveled together for protection and support to make it through the dangerous and difficult terrain. The crew she traveled with comprised of professional, skilled travelers who were experts in astronomy and could navigate their way through the desert 's sandy mountains and had only the stars to help them find their way through the never-ending sand that changed with the blowing winds, as well as their memory of the paths leading to other cities and countries. Her travels took place in the thirteenth century. Laila had many adventures on her trips. Although her main interest was to sell her goods and make money, along the way, she had many adventures and pleasant experiences. On her way, she encountered people from many …show more content…
The governments or rulers of these cities became rich and consequently strong. Her final stop was Constantanopolis which is now known as Istanbul, Turkey. This was an economic center of trade in the area and was very powerful. It was a center of learning as well. From this center point, the Silk Road routes would go to China, to Europe, to India, or to Africa. It was a strategic point for merchants to come exchange their goods and take needed or rare products back to their country of