Abstract
Silk has been amongst the important productions with a great value in the history of mankind. Silk export expanded from Iran to Europe during Ilkhanid period. Although there was a setback in silk export due to the fall of Ilkhanids, the production and export of silk revived during Timurids and Turkmans periods. Tabriz and Soltanieh were the most important trading centers for the silk produced in Astarabad, Mazandaran, Gilan, Shirvan and Shamakhi. Bursa also became the international center for Iran's silk in Anatolia. Due to the worldwide increased demand for raw silk, its price was rising incessantly. Many Iranian merchants exported silk abroad. Government earning from silk customs were rising constantly as the caravans commuted frequently. This paper tries to describe the important centers of silk trade, its growth in 9th century AH and the silk exportation. It has to be mentioned that the activities of these centers paved the way for the development of silk production and its trade during Safavid period.
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