A new study published in Nature Communications challenges one of history’s most famous sayings: “All roads lead to Rome.”

Axar.az reports that researchers mapped and analysed nearly 300,000 kilometres of Roman roads across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Their network analysis found that Rome was not the most strategically positioned city for land-based travel across the Roman Empire.

According to the study, Ancyra — modern-day Ankara — along with Antioch, Byzantium and Corinth, was better positioned than Rome as an intermediary for empire-wide terrestrial mobility. The researchers also found that Ancyra was a focal point in the Roman province of Galatia, with important roads centred around the city.

The findings do not literally mean that all Roman roads ended in Ankara. Rather, they show that the traditional Rome-centred image of the road network is misleading. For travel by land, ancient Ankara was among the Roman Empire’s most strategically connected cities.

The study also notes that Rome would likely appear more central if sea and river transport were included.