According to statements of its founder, the Persian intellectual Mani, Manichaeism was developed during the 3rd century A. D. as an attempt to form a synthesis between Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrism, and Buddhism. It was an openly missionary religion, that very adroitly made use of different media apart from written texts and managed to attract a huge amount of people (among them occasionally Augustine of Hippo who later became bishop of the Christian majority). Obviously, the leaders of the mission have adapted the religious - especially mythological - materials and rituals of this global ancient religion to local (religious) rituals, resulting in significant differences between the North-African, the Egyptian and the Iranian Manichaeism. The most exciting transformation proves to be the adaptation formed in the Early Medieval in the Oasis of Turfan where Manichaeism temporarily even became state religion of an Uighur kingdom. The inculturation in Buddhism particularly characterizes the written and archeological traditions found during the Turfan expeditions from Berlin at the beginning of the 20th century. The transformation of the late antique religion originating from Persia to be found along the Silk Route is a tremendously creative process which is outlined in the article and analyzed with regard to the focus of the volume.