of trade for rare perfumes and was also a centre for pearl diving. It was also the beginning of the overland trade route from the Persian Gulf to Petra and Palmyra and also into the Parthian Empire Coins Prior to the invasion of Trajan Charax minted coins of a Hellenistic type while after the invasion the coinage was of a more Parthian character. Charax minted coin through the Sassanid Empire and into the Umayyad Caliphate, minting coin as late as AD 715. Notable persons It was visited in AD 97 by the Chinese envoy, Gan Ying 甘英, who referred to it as 干羅 (Pinyin: Gànluò; reconstructed ancient pronunciation *ka-ra), who was trying to reach the Roman Empire via Egypt but, after reaching the Persian Gulf was convinced to turn back by the Parthians. In AD 116, the Roman Emperor Trajan visited Charax Spasinu – his most recent, easternmost and shortest-lived possession. He saw the many ships setting sail for India, and wished he were younger, like Alexander had been, so that he could go there himself. Isidore of Charax, a 1st-century geographer, came from Charax Spasinu. Robert Eisenman contends that it was this city, and not the better-known Antioch in which Paul established his first church. See also List of cities founded by Alexander the Great Footnotes References External links Seleucid colonies Former populated places in Iraq Populated places along the Silk Road Cities founded by Alexander the Great Populated places established in the 4th century BC 320s BC establishments Archaeological sites in Iraq Roman sites in Iraq Port cities and towns of the Persian Gulf Former ports and harbours