Marco Polo was an Italian merchant, explorer, and one of the world’s greatest travelers and travel writers. He was born in 1254 in Venice, and as a young man, set off with his father and uncle on a journey to Asia. This journey lasted 24 years, during which his explorations changed the map of the world and wrote his famous stories.
Early Life
Marco Polo was born into a wealthy Venetian trading family in the year 1254. His father, Niccolo, and uncle Maffeo had made their initial mark in trade with the Mongols and through their explorations, were among the first to open up trade between Western Europe and Far East Asia. This set the stage for Marco Polo’s amazing travels.
Early Journeys
At the age of seventeen, Marco Polo was requested to join his family on a voyage that was aimed at collecting exotic items from the Far East for trading. The voyage started from the port of Acre in 1271 and the family reached Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, where Marco met with Kublai Khan, the ruling emperor of the Mongol Empire.
The Travels of Marco Polo
In 1272, Kublai Khan asked the Polo brothers to extend their journey and go on a mission to help him convert some areas of his kingdom to Christianity. Embracing this as an honor, they left Beijing in 1272 and traveled nearly 17,000 miles, through extreme weather and terrain, often visiting exotic places, like China, India and the island of Java.
Exploration of the East
The exploration of the east was an eventful one. During their travels, they witnessed the war between the Mongols and the Chinese empire, journeyed across the North Pakistan, visited must of the areas which are now India and Bangladesh, and even traveled up the rivers and into parts of Mongolia and Tibet, regions not traveled by many during this period.
Publication & Legacy
In 1298, after being released from prison, Marco Polo wrote a book about his travels and navigated the Silk Road to tell about the incredible stories of the unseen world beyond Europe. He epitomized the spirit of adventure, inspiring others to open up their minds and explore the unknown. His book, “The Travels of Marco Polo” was one of the first to document Europeans’ fascination with the East and his contributions to cartography, geography and philosophy are still studied today.
Achievements & Accomplishments
Throughout his travels, Marco Polo had been a great help to Kublai Khan; a diplomat, a merchant, a world traveler and an explorer. He was the first European to explore Central Asia and go to the Chinese cities of Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Suzhou. He was also the first to investigate the Caspian Sea and the area of Azerbaijan.
Marco Polo is responsible for the introduction of certain things to Europeans, such as the pasta, ice cream, noodles, printed paper money and the cat-o’-nine tails. He also increased knowledge about geography, especially Asia and greatly increased European’s knowledge about Asia.
Impact on Society
Today, Marco Polo is viewed as one of the world’s greatest travelers and can be described as a true pioneer. He continues to be an inspiring figure, especially to those who want to explore and experience the world. His account of his journeys inspired many others, including Christopher Columbus and helped to bridge the gap of knowledge about the Far East to Europeans.
The legacy of Marco Polo is still visible today in many East-West cultural exchanges, such as fashion, cuisine, music and art. He has also been portrayed multiple times in various films, television series, and books which has kept his memory alive.
Marco Polo was an explorer, traveler and one of the world’s greatest writers. He was among the first to open trade between Western Europe and Far East Asia and his travels provided a vast wealth of knowledge about the unknown beyond Europe. His stories, which were documented in his famous book, were an inspiration for Christopher Columbus and others, helping to bridge the cultural divide between the East and West. His impact on our modern world is still present today in cultural exchanges, art and literature. He will always be remembered as a true pioneer and explorer.