Table of Contents
Why is it important to learn about Marco Polo?
The Polos were not the first Europeans to reach China and the east. But Marco Polo’s travels were inspiring. He wrote about the landscape, the Middle Eastern people, and details about the Mongol empire. But the most important thing we know is that Marco Polo helped make great connections between the East and the West.
What did Europe learn from Marco Polo?
It was Marco Polo’s book of his travels that introduced Europeans to China and Central Asia. For example, Marco Polo brought back the idea of paper money and some think his descriptions of coal, eyeglasses and a complex postal system eventually led to their widespread use in Europe.
What did Marco Polo do in his life?
Marco Polo was a Venetian explorer known for the book The Travels of Marco Polo, which describes his voyage to and experiences in Asia. Polo traveled extensively with his family, journeying from Europe to Asia from 1271 to 1295 and remaining in China for 17 of those years.
What is the true story of Marco Polo?
Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant believed to have journeyed across Asia at the height of the Mongol Empire. He first set out at age 17 with his father and uncle, traveling overland along what later became known as the Silk Road.
What skills did Marco Polo have?
Marco Polo provides a rich description of the Mongolian culture, including their government, food (e.g., extensive use of milk products), the round tent homes called yurts, and, of course, their expert horsemanship skills.
Who was Marco Polo a trader for?
Marco Polo Italian Trader at the Court of Kublai Khan At the height of the Mongol Empire, Marco Polo served Emperor Kublai Khan in China and returned to Venice to write an account of his experiences that would give Europeans some of their earliest information about China. A drawing of Marco Polo © Bettmann/CORBIS
What were Marco Polos hardships?
The journey took three or four years and was rife with hardships and adventure. Marco Polo contracted an illness and was forced to take refuge in the mountains of northern Afghanistan for an extended period of time. Polo described there being “nothing at all to eat,” in the Gobi Desert .
What was Marco Polo’s reason for exploration?
A Faster Route to the East. But the most powerful inducement to exploration was trade. Marco Polo’s famous journey to Cathay signaled Europe’s “discovery” of Chinese and Islamic civilizations. The Orient became a magnet to traders, and exotic products and wealth flowed into Europe.