There are many differences and similarities between the two routes. The type of goods is just one example. The benefactors of the Silk Road, whereas the Indian Ocean route benefited the Chinese, Indian and Middle East alike.
Al-Qili is what I remember in my old history book.
In 330 AD, Constantine, then the emperor of the Roman Empire, moved the seat of power to Constantinople. Then, Constantine founded a "second Rome" (the Byzantine Empire). The city was strategically placed on the trade routes between Europe and Asia, and the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, making it ideal for trade and travel.
