Marco Polo is a famous traveler of the Middle Ages. He described all his wanderings in detail in the Book of Wonders of the World, which became a very important source of geographical knowledge in those days. Which countries did Marco Polo visit? You will learn about this from our article.
Marco Polo: a brief biography
All of the same "Book of Wonders of the World" we draw basic information about the biography of the traveler. Where he was born and when he died, which countries Marco Polo visited and when his first major journey began - the humanist Giovanni Ramusio was able to answer all these questions for the first time. In the XVI century, it was he who wrote a detailed biography of the Italian wanderer and writer.
Approximate years of Marco Polo's life: 1254-1324. He was born in Venice or, on other assumptions, on the island of Korcula (in the territory of modern Croatia). His fate was predetermined in advance, since Father Marco was also a merchant, and quite famous. Therefore, the son followed in the footsteps of his parent. On his first trip, he set off at the age of 6. The purpose of this voyage was the city of Sudak in Crimea.
It is also known that the merchant spent two years in captivity with the Genoese. It was there that a detailed report was written about which countries Marco Polo visited in his life. However, his contemporaries did not show much interest in the book.
Marco Polo was the richest of all Venetian merchants. In his declining years, the locals even called him a millionaire. The legendary traveler died in 1324. He was buried, most likely, in Venice, in the church of San Lorenzo.
Which countries did Marco Polo visit during his travels in Asia
The great journey of the Venetian merchant began in 1271. At that time he was only 17 years old. Marco Polo set sail with his father and uncle.
Which countries did Marco Polo visit on this journey? The answer to this question is not so simple. Historians have reconstructed the route of this journey only hypothetically. So, the Polo family went towards China through Mesopotamia, the Pamirs and Mongolia. Along the way, they also visited Iran, Ceylon, India and Sumatra. Although Marco’s book also mentions absolutely incredible place names: for example, Japan, the island of Madagascar and even Brazil!
In 1275, the Polo family reached the territory of China. In the same year, they reached the city of Shandu, which housed the summer residence of Khan Khubilai. Marco Polo spent almost 17 years in China. He even served as governor of Yangzhou at one time.
The family left China only in 1291. They returned to Venice with a lot of gifts and treasures. Thus, the journey of Marco Polo to Asia lasted more than 20 years. During this time, he overcame about 24,000 kilometers.
"Book of Wonders of the World"
This work has survived 57 publications in its history. It was printed in nine European languages! Although it is believed that the original work was written in French.
The "Book of Wonders of the World" includes four chapters, each of which is devoted to individual countries or events:
- Central Asia and the Middle East.
- China.
- India, Japan, Ceylon, as well as the eastern coast of Africa.
- This part describes the war of the Mongols with their northern neighbors.
Marco Polo’s book was copied and refined many times; completely new fragments of the text were added to it.
Was there a trip?
Many modern researchers doubt: did Marco Polo visit the Far East in principle? On this occasion, Francis Wood even published a book in 1995 entitled: “Did Marco Polo Travel to China?” In it, the researcher suggests that the merchant was not east of the Levant. After all, how could he not notice and not write in his work about such things as wooden chopsticks, or about a fanatical love for tea parties.
Earlier, in 1966, Herbert Franke in his article suggested that the “Book of Wonders of the World” is nothing but the plagiarism of several chapters of the now lost Arab Encyclopedia. But in the conviction of the German scientist, Marco Polo never got to the Far East.
But perhaps Marco Polo still visited China. The lawyers of this version explain many inconsistencies in the book for two reasons: the first is an inadequate translation, and the second is the numerous speculations of labor scribes. In other words, the well-known principle of "damaged telephone" played a role here.
One way or another, Marco Polo forever entered the history of world geographical discoveries. The name of the traveler is an asteroid, a lunar crater, a butterfly and a bridge in China, which Marco allegedly saw during his wanderings in the East.
Conclusion
The so-called Book of Wonders of the World, written by the Venetian traveler Marco Polo, became an important source of geographical and ethnographic knowledge in the Middle Ages. In fact, this was the first serious work that introduced Europeans to the mysterious and distant East.
Now you know which countries Marco Polo visited during his wanderings. It was China, the Pamir, Tibet, Mesopotamia, Kashgar, Ceylon, Sumatra and Iran.