"Thomais Papathanasiou-Fotopoulou aspires to secure a good position in this genre of intellectual creation, with her endeavor to revisit the 'Silk Road' from a modern perspective and with the enlistment of the communication means of our era. In her rendition, she combines the narration of the real, which she encountered on her journey, with historical testimonies and imprints deeply etched into the ground of human presence by the centuries that have passed. In this atmosphere, the author chose to follow the routes of ancient travelers with the communication means offered by modern civilization. She sought what remains in caves and monasteries, untouched by time and people. She tasted strange foods and fruits of concentrated sweetness under broad-leaved vines in desert oasis cities, saw in the faces of people the reflections of passing peoples, heard the ruins of crumbling hotels whispering stories from the Great Game, discerned in local museums history coming to life with audiovisual representations, while in their showcases parades the prehistory of the ancient road with enigmatic mummies with red hair and western features. The journey on Papathanasiou-Fotopoulou's 'Silk Road' is a captivating exploration of the history of ancient civilizations, their survival in our time, the realities composed by the contrasts woven by the meeting of history with our era in the Asian hinterland. Her narration is vivid, authentically illustrative, flooded with the emotions evoked in the 'traveler' by the constant alternation of scenes from the active world with the world of history." From the book's preface Giorgos Kontogiorgis