 The city regained importance when it became the seat of the theme of Chaldia.Trebizond also benefited when the trade route regained importance in the 8th to 10th centuries; 10th-century Muslim authors note that Trebizond was frequented by Muslim merchants, as the main source transshipping Byzantine silks into eastern Muslim countries.According to the 10th century Arab geographer Abul Feda it was regarded as being largely a Lazian port.