Description of the traveler Marco Polo. On native soil. What countries did Marco Polo visit during his travels in Asia?

…If Marco Polo's travels did not create a permanent connection with the Far East,
they were crowned with a different kind of success: their result was the most amazing
is the only travel book ever written that has retained its value forever.

J. Baker. "Story geographical discoveries and research"

Who is Marco Polo? What did you open?

Marco Polo (born September 15, 1254 - death January 8, 1324) - the largest Venetian traveler before the Age of Discovery, merchant and writer, wandered around the lands for about 17 years Central Asia And Far East, who described his journey in the famous “Book of the Diversity of the World.” The book was subsequently used by sailors, cartographers, travelers, writers... First of all, Marco Polo is known for having discovered such a mysterious East Asia for Europeans. Thanks to his travels, Europeans discovered the country of China, the richest Japan, the islands of Sumatra and Java, the fabulously rich Ceylon and the island of Madagascar. The traveler discovered paper money, sago palm, coal and spices for Europe, which at that time were worth their weight in gold.

For the journey, unparalleled for its era in terms of duration and coverage of territory, for the accuracy of observations and conclusions, the legendary Italian traveler Marco Polo is sometimes called the “Herodotus of the Middle Ages.” His book, the first direct account of India and China by a Christian, played a very important role in the history of geographical discoveries and for several centuries became an encyclopedia of the life of the peoples of Central Asia and the Far East.

Origin

Apparently Marco Polo was born in Venice. At least his grandfather, Andrea Polo, lived there in the parish of the Church of San Felice. But it is known that the Polo family, which was not particularly distinguished, but quite rich, came from the island of Korcula in Dalmatia.

As you can see, the desire to wander is a family trait in the Marco Polo family. My uncle, Marco il Vecchio, was traveling on trade business. Niccolo's father and another uncle, Matteo, lived for several years in Constantinople, where they were engaged in trade, traveled the lands from the Black Sea to the Volga and Bukhara, and visited the possessions of Mongol Khan Khubilai.

Marco Polo in China

1271 - taking 17-year-old Marco with them, the Polo brothers again went to Asia as merchants and envoys of the pope. They were carrying a letter from the head of the Roman church to the khan. Most likely, this journey would have become one of many lost in the annals of history, if not for the bright talent, observation and thirst for the unknown of the youngest member of the expedition.

The Venetians began their journey in Acre, from where they headed north through Armenia, rounded the northern tip of the lake. Van and via Tabriz and Yazd reached Hormuz, hoping to travel east by sea. However, there were no reliable ships in the port, and the travelers turned back to travel through Persia and Balkh. Their further journey passed through the Pamirs to Kashgar, then through the cities located at the foot of Kunlun.

Life in China

Beyond Yarkand and Khotan they turned east and passed south of the lake. Lop Nor and were eventually able to reach the destination of their journey - Beijing. But their travels did not end there. The Venetians were destined to live there for 17 years. The Polo brothers took up trade, and Marco entered the service of Kublai Khan and traveled a lot throughout the empire. He was able to get acquainted with part of the Great Chinese Plain, pass through the modern provinces of Shanxi and Sichuan, all the way to distant Yunnan and even to Burma.

He probably visited the northern region of Indochina, in the Red River basin. Marco saw the old residence of the Mongol khans of Karakorum, India and Tibet. With his lively mind, sharpness and ability to easily master local dialects, the young Italian fell in love with the khan. 1277 - he became a commissioner of the imperial council, was the government ambassador with special missions in Onnan and Yanzhou. And in 1280, Polo was appointed ruler of the city of Yangtcha and 27 other cities subordinate to him. Marco held this post for three years.

Finally, life in a foreign land began to weigh heavily on the Venetians. But the khan was offended by any request from Mark to let him go home. Then the Polos decided to use a trick. 1292 - they, including Marco, were entrusted with accompanying the daughter of Kublai Khan, Kogathra, to her fiancé, Prince Arghun, who reigned in Persia. Khan ordered to equip an entire fleet of 14 ships and supplied the crews with supplies for 2 years. This was a convenient opportunity to return to Venice after completing the assignment.

Marco Polo with the Mongol Khan Kublai Khan

Way home

During this journey, Marco Polo was able to see the islands of the Malay Archipelago, Ceylon, the Indian coast, Arabia, Madagascar, Zanzibar, and Abyssinia. The voyage ended in Hormuz, already familiar to him. Moreover, the travel route was not always chosen based on considerations of choosing the shortest route. The desire to see new countries forced Marco to deviate more than 1.5 thousand miles to the side to explore the African coast.

As a result, the voyage lasted 18 months, and when the flotilla arrived in Persia, Arghun had already died. Leaving Kogatra in the care of his son Hassan, the Venetians set out for their homeland via Trebizond and Constantinople.

Return to Venice

1295 - after a 24-year absence, the Polo family returned to Venice. Even close relatives, who by that time had occupied Niccolo’s house, did not recognize the wanderers. They had long been considered dead. A few days later, at a feast where Polo invited the most noble citizens of Venice, Marco, Niccolò and Matteo, in front of those present, tore open their Tatar clothes, which turned into rags, and poured out a pile of precious stones. Nothing else was taken from Polo's trip.

In Trebizond, expensive silks stored in China were confiscated. And the story with the jewelry may be a legend. At least they weren't swimming in gold. The nickname “Millionaire”, which Marco was given by his fellow citizens, is most likely due to the fact that during stories about his adventures he often repeated this word in relation to the wealth of eastern rulers.

1296 - war began between the Venetian Republic and Genoa. IN naval battle The commander of one of the ships, Marco, was seriously wounded, captured and imprisoned. There he met a fellow prisoner, the Pisan Rusticiano, to whom he dictated his memories, which brought him immortality.

Personal life

After his release from captivity in 1299, Polo lived quietly until 1324 in Venice and died on January 8 at the age of 69. At the end of his life he conducted trading business in the city. Upon returning, the traveler married Donata Badoer from a rich and noble family. They had three daughters - Fantine, Bellela and Moretta. According to the will, both his wife and daughters were denied more than modest sums.

Map of the route of Marco Polo's journey

Book. The meaning of Marco Polo's journey

Memoirs of Marco Polo, recorded by Rusticiano on French and which he called “The Book of Sir Marco Polo Concerning the Kingdoms and Wonders of the East,” was destined to survive centuries. In them, the wanderer appears not so much as a merchant or a khan's official, but as a person passionate about the romance of travel, the diversity of the world, and the variety of impressions. Maybe it became like this thanks to Rusticiano, who sought to create a fairy tale about the wonders of the East. But most likely Marco is behind this. Otherwise, the narrator simply would not have any material. And the fate of the traveler himself, who did not find wealth overseas, makes him look not like a merchant thirsty for profit, but also like a merchant who went on a journey “across three seas” and brought back only a book.

The manuscript was read with interest. Very soon it was translated into Latin and other European languages and after the spread of printing, it was reprinted many times (the first printed edition was published in 1477). Until the second half of the 17th century, the book was used as a guide for establishing trade routes to India, China and Central Asia. It acquired a particularly important role during the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries, becoming a reference book for Henry the Navigator and everyone who sought to find sea ​​route to India and the Far East.

Memoirs are read with great interest even today. They have been published in Russian in several translations. One of the best is considered to be the translation of Professor I.P. Minaev, first published in 1940.

Doubts. Reliability of information

Unfortunately, during Marco’s lifetime, the Venetians questioned his stories, considering them to be fiction. In this sense, he shared the fate of other famous travelers, such as Pytheas and Ibn Battuta. The book, in which Rusticiano, in an effort to make it entertaining, included not only the narrator's direct observations, but also legends, as well as stories about countries that Polo had not seen, only made the situation worse. Rumors, conjectures, and ill will, despite the obvious facts, have happily survived to this day and, having found themselves in the fertile soil of the desire for sensations, they have blossomed magnificently.

A book by historian Francis Wood was published in the West under the eloquent title “Did Marco Polo Visit China?” In his work he questioned this. 1999 - Gullible Internet fans went even further. They organized a discussion to determine the degree of reliability of the information contained in Marco's memories. Participants virtually, on a computer screen, repeated his route, which was more than 3.5 thousand km long. At each stage, they got acquainted with documentary historical and geographical data about the area, compared them and even voted to find out their collective opinion. Most concluded that Polo had not actually been to China. If, in their opinion, he visited the Celestial Empire, it was for a very short time. However, the question remains unanswered: where did he spend those 17 years?

However, it is not only the book of memories that preserves the memory of Marco Polo’s journey. He was such an extraordinary person that in China he was even awarded something resembling religious veneration. In Europe this became known only at the beginning of the 20th century. In Italian geographical society a letter from one of its members dated April 12, 1910 is kept. He writes that in 1902 in Canton, in the Temple of Five Hundred Buddhas, in a long row of statues, he saw one with energetic facial features of a clearly non-Mongolian type. He was told that it was a statue of Marco Polo. It is unlikely that a random trader who visited the country in passing could have received such attention.

Polo Marco (1254-1344) - Italian who traveled to South Asia.

Marco Polo came from the Venetian merchant family. His father and uncle carried on extensive trade, particularly with Persia. In 1271, setting off on a long journey, they took with them Marco, who from childhood was distinguished by his keen powers of observation and intelligence. For 17 years, Marco Polo’s family was engaged in trade in the “Celestial Empire”. Marco very quickly learned languages ​​and gained the favor of the Chinese emperor, to such an extent that his family was given the most important assignment - to accompany the Mongol and Chinese princess to Asia, and in the spring of 1292 a flotilla of 14 ships sailed from the port. Polo had to make a long sea voyage, the first in the history of navigation in which Europeans took part.

The path ran along the eastern and southern shores Asia. Marco Polo's phenomenal memory captured the smallest details of the journey: what he saw with his own eyes, he never forgot.

It was not until 1295 that the Polo family returned to Venice, bringing with them enormous wealth.

After some time, war breaks out between Venice and Genoa. These two prosperous port city-states have long competed for supremacy in trade in the Mediterranean. At his own expense, Marco Polo equips a ship, but in one of the battles he fails: the ship was captured, and Polo ended up in a Genoese prison. In order not to become despondent, he begins to talk about his travels to his cellmates. His story aroused keen interest not only among the prisoners, but also among the guards, who began to carry them around the city. And now the residents of Genoa begin to visit the prison to hear for themselves what Marco Polo tells. In the end, he comes to the idea that he needs to capture his memories on paper. Rusticiano, his cellmate, became the “chronicler.” Day after day, a work is born under his pen, which to this day reads like a fascinating novel. Polo himself never gave this work a title. It went down in history as “The Book of Marco Polo.” The book was roughly completed by the end of 1298. Perhaps this played a role in the fact that Marco Polo was soon released, and without ransom. Returning to Venice, he continues to work on his narrative, significantly adding to it.

It was still far from the invention of printing, but “The Book of Marco Polo” began to spread throughout Europe and was translated into many languages. Shortly before his death, Polo said: “I did not write even half of what I saw.” But what he wrote cannot be overestimated, since the “Book” significantly expanded the horizons of Europeans and for the first time gave them information about countries about which they knew only by hearsay.

One of the chapters of the book is devoted to a description of our country. “Great” he calls her. In it, Marco Polo gave a fairly reliable description of Rus'.

... Marco Polo died in 1344. For the last ten years of his life he was engaged in trade and never returned to his book. He never had to learn that his geographical observations and discoveries were far ahead of their time.

In 1477, a printed edition of the Book appeared, which caught the eye of Christopher Columbus. It probably strengthened his opinion that it was possible to sail to Asia from Europe, heading west. He took with him the Latin edition of the Book and actively used it in his travels.

Marco Polo is an Italian merchant and traveler who, after his trip to Asia, wrote “The Book of the Diversity of the World.”

Marco Polo was born in 1254. In 1260, Marco's father and uncle, the Venetian merchants Niccolò and Maffeo Polo, set out from Constantinople, where they had been trading for several years, to Asia. They visited the Crimea, Bukhara, and the farthest point of their journey was the residence of the great Mongol Khan Kublai Khan. After negotiations with the Venetians, Kublai decided to enter into relations with the West and decided to send an embassy to the pope, instructing both Polo brothers to be his representatives before the pope. In 1266, the Polo brothers set off for Europe. In 1269 they reached the fortress of Akka on the Mediterranean Sea and there learned that Pope Clement IV, to whom they had a message from Kublai Kublai, had died and a new pope had not yet been elected. The papal legate who was in Akka ordered them to wait for the election of the pope. And then the brothers decided to spend their waiting time in Venice, where they had not been for fifteen years. They lived in their homeland for two years, and the election of the pope was still postponed. Then the Polo brothers went to Akka again, taking with them young Marco, who was then no more than seventeen years old. In Akka they received from the papal legate a letter to Kublai, in which they reported the death of Pope Clement IV. But as soon as they set off, they learned that the papal legate had himself been elected pope under the name of Gregory X. The new pope ordered the messengers to return the travelers from the road and presented them with letters to the Great Khan, after which the Venetians set off on their long journey again.

Returning to Mongolia, the Polo brothers did not follow the same path that they followed to the Great Khan the first time. If before they traveled along the foothills of the northern Tien Shan, which significantly lengthened the road, now they took a shorter route - through what is now Afghanistan. But despite this, their journey to the residence of Kublai Khan lasted about three and a half years.

2 Armenia

Marco Polo, together with his father and uncle, began the journey from Lesser Armenia, which is characterized in his book as “a very unhealthy country.” The Venetians were greatly impressed by the trading city of Layas (Ayas), located on the seashore - a storage point for valuable Asian goods and a meeting place for merchants from all countries. From Lesser Armenia, Marco Polo went to the Turkmen land. Greater Armenia, which Marco Polo then visited, was a convenient base for the Tatar army. From Greater Armenia the Venetians went northeast, to Georgia, which stretched along the southern slope of the Caucasus.

3 Tabriz

The travelers then descended to the kingdom of Mosul. Then they visited Baghdad, where “the caliph of all the Saracens in the world lives.” From Baghdad, Venetian travelers reached Tabriz (Tabriz), a Persian city in the province of Azerbaijan. Tabriz is a large trading city, lying among beautiful gardens. Merchants there trade in precious stones and make great profits. The main trade of the country is horses and donkeys, which the inhabitants send to Kizi and Kurmaz (Hormuz), and from there to India.

From Tabriz, the travelers again descended south, to the Persian city of Yazdi (Yezd), and then, after traveling for seven days through magnificent forests teeming with game, they arrived in the province of Kerman. There, in the mountains, miners mined turquoise and iron. Leaving the city of Kerman, Marco Polo and his companions arrived nine days later in the city of Kamadi, surrounded by beautiful groves of date palms and pistachio trees.

4 Hormuz

Continuing their journey south, the travelers reached the fertile valley of Kurmaz, present-day Hormuz, and then arrived at the shores of Persian Gulf, to the city of Hormuz. This area, rich in dates and spices, seemed very hot and unhealthy to the Venetians. Hormuz was a major trading city. Precious stones, silk and gold fabrics, ivory, date wine and bread were brought there from various places for sale, and then all these goods were exported on ships. “Their ships are bad,” noted Marco Polo, “and many of them perish because they are not nailed together with iron nails, but are sewn together with ropes from the bark of Indian nuts.”

From Hormuz, Marco Polo and his companions, rising to the northeast, set out on a dangerous road through a barren desert, in which only bitter, standing water was found, and seven days later reached the city of Kobinan (Kuhbenan). Further, Marco Polo's path ran through the cities of Sapurgan (Shibargan) and Taikan (Talikan - in the northeast of Afghanistan).

Next, the travelers entered the Shesmur region (Kashmir). If Marco Polo had kept his course, he would have come to India. But he rose from here to the north and twelve days later arrived in the land of Wakhan. Then, through the mountainous deserts of the Pamirs, after a forty-day journey, the travelers reached the province of Kashgar. Now they found themselves in a country where Maffeo and Niccolo Polo had already been, during their journey from Bukhara to the residence of the Great Khan. From Kashgar, Marco Polo turned west to visit Samarkand. Then, returning again to Kashgar, he headed to Yarkan, then to Khotan, and then reached the border great desert Taklamakan. After a five-day journey across a sandy plain, the Venetians arrived at the city of Lob, where they rested for eight days in preparation for crossing the desert stretching to the east.

5 Kanpichion

In a month, the travelers crossed the desert and arrived in the province of Tangut, in the city of Shazhou (now Dun-hua), built on the western border of the Chinese Empire. Then the travelers went to the city of Suktan (now Jiuquan), in the vicinity of which they breed large quantities rhubarb, and then to the city of Kanpichion (now Zhangye, in the central part Chinese province Gansu) was the then capital of the Tanguts. “This is a large, majestic city, in which noble and rich idolaters live, having many wives,” wrote Marco Polo. Three Venetians lived for a whole year in this city. From there, Marco Polo traveled to the Karakoram, for which he had to cross the Gobi Desert twice.

6 Meeting with the Khan

The Venetians traveled through the province of Senduk (Tenduk) and, having climbed over the Great Wall of China, arrived at Chiagannor (in inner Mongolia), where one of the summer palaces of the Great Khan was located. Leaving Chiagannor, they arrived three days later in Chianda (Shandu), and there the travelers were received by the great Khan Kublai Khan, who lived in his summer residence located behind the “Great Wall” north of Khanbalik (Beijing).

Marco Polo says little about the reception given to the Venetians by Kublai Kublai, but describes in great detail the palace of the Great Khan, built of stone and marble and all gilded inside. The palace was located in a park surrounded by a wall; All kinds of animals and birds were gathered there, fountains flowed, and bamboo gazebos stood everywhere. Kublai Khan lived in the summer palace for three months a year.

7 Khanbalik

Together with the court of Kublai Khan, the travelers then moved to the capital of the empire, Khanbalik (Beijing), where the magnificent palace of the khan was located. Marco Polo described this khan’s palace in detail in his book: “For three months a year, December, January and February, the great khan lives in the main city of China, Khanbalik; there it is Grand Palace, and here it is: first of all, a square wall; each side is a mile long, and in the area, that means four miles; the wall is thick, a good ten steps high, white and jagged all around; in every corner there is a beautiful, rich palace; they contain the harness of the Great Khan; there is also a palace at each wall, the same as the coal ones; in total there are eight palaces along the walls. Behind this wall there is another, smaller in diameter than in length; and here are eight palaces, the same as the first ones, and the harness of the Great Khan is also kept in them. In the middle is the palace of the Great Khan, it is built like this: this has never been seen anywhere else; there is no second floor, and the foundation is ten spans above the ground; the roof is high. The walls in the large and small chambers are covered with gold and silver, and dragons, birds, horses and all kinds of animals are painted on them, and the walls are so covered that nothing is visible except gold and painting. The hall is so spacious, more than six thousand people can be there. You’re amazed at how many rooms there are, spacious and beautifully arranged. And the roof is red, green, blue, yellow, of all colors, thinly and skillfully laid out, glitters like crystal and glows from afar.”

Marco Polo lived in Khanbalik for quite a long time. The Great Khan liked him very much for his lively mind, sharpness and ability to easily learn local dialects. As a result, Khubilai gave Marco Polo various instructions and sent him not only to different regions of China, but also to the Indian Seas, to the island of Ceylon, to the Coromandel and Malabar Islands and to Cochin China (Indo-China). In 1280, Marco Polo was appointed ruler of the city of Yangui (Yangzhou) and twenty-seven other cities in this region. Carrying out orders from the Great Khan, Marco Polo traveled around most China and conveyed in his book a lot of information that was valuable both ethnographically and geographically.

8 First trip to China

The Great Khan gave Marco Polo an assignment and sent him as a messenger to the west. Leaving Khanbalik, he walked in this direction for four months. On a beautiful stone bridge with twenty-four arches, three hundred steps long, Marco Polo crossed the Yellow River. Having traveled thirty miles, the traveler entered a large and beautiful city Zhigi (Zhuoxian), where silk and gold fabrics are made and sandalwood is processed with great skill. Moving further west, Marco Polo ten days later reached the region of Taian Fu (Taiyuan), abounding in vineyards and mulberry trees.

Finally, having traveled through all of China, the traveler reached Tibet. According to Marco Polo, Tibet is a very large region whose people speak their own special dialect and worship idols. There are good harvests of cinnamon and “many spices that have never been seen in our countries.”

Having left Tibet, Marco Polo headed to the region of Gaindu (Qiondzi) and from there, crossing big river Jinshajiang (apparently Yangtze) - reached Karazhan (now Yunnan province). From there, heading south, Polo entered the province of Zerdendan, whose capital Nochian was located on the site of the present city of Yongchang-fu. Then, following the high road that served as a trade route between India and Indo-China, he passed through the Baoshan region (in Yunnan province) and after traveling on horseback for fifteen days through forests teeming with elephants and other wild animals, he reached the city of Mian (Mianning). The city of Mian, long since destroyed, was famous at that time for a miracle of architectural art: two towers made of beautiful stone. One was covered with gold sheets as thick as a finger, and the other with silver. Both of these towers were supposed to serve as a tombstone for King Mian, but his kingdom fell and became part of the domain of the Great Khan.

Marco Polo then descended to Bangala, present-day Bengal, which at that time, in 1290, had not yet been captured by Kublai Khan. From there the traveler headed east to the city of Kangigu (apparently in Northern Laos). Residents there tattooed their bodies, pricking images of lions, dragons and birds with needles on their faces, necks, stomachs, arms and legs. Marco Polo did not go further south than Cangigu during this journey. From here he ascended to the northeast and after fifteen days of travel he arrived in Toloman Province (on the border of the current provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou).

Having left Toloman, Marco Polo followed twelve days along the river, on the banks of which large cities and villages were often found, and arrived in the province of Kungui, which was located within the boundaries of the possessions of the Great Khan; In this country, Marco Polo was amazed by the abundance of wild animals, especially bloodthirsty lions. From this province, Marco Polo headed to Kachian-fu (Hejiang), from where he took the road he was already familiar with, which led him back to Kublai Khan.

9 Second trip to China

After some time, Marco Polo, with a new assignment from the Great Khan, made another trip to the south of China. First of all, he visited the large Manzi region, where he visited the city of Koigangui (Huaian), located on the banks of the Yellow River. The inhabitants of this city were engaged in extracting salt from salt lakes. Then, moving further and further south, the traveler visited several trading cities one after another: Panshin (Baoying), Kaiu (Gaoyu), Tigui (Taizhou) and, finally, Yangui (Yangzhou). In the city of Yangui, Marco Polo was governor for three years. However, even during this period he did not remain in one place for long. Continuing to travel around the country, he carefully studied the coastal and inland cities.

Marco Polo described in his book the city of Sainfu (Yangfen), located in the northern part of Hebei province. It was the last city in the Manzi region to resist Khubilai after the entire region had been conquered. The Great Khan besieged the city for three years and captured it thanks to the assistance of the Venetians Polo. They advised the khan to build throwing machines - ballistas. As a result, the city was destroyed by a hail of stones, many of which reached three hundred pounds.

Of all the cities in southern China greatest impression produced by Marco Polo Quinsai (Hangzhou), located on navigable river Qiantanjiang. In the words of Marco Polo, "twelve thousand stone bridges in it, and under the arches of each bridge or most of the bridges, ships can pass, and under the arches of others - smaller ships. Don't be surprised that there are a lot of bridges here; the city, I tell you, is all in water, and there is water all around; you need a lot of bridges here to get everywhere.”

Marco Polo then went to the city of Fugi (Fujian). According to him, there were often revolts of the population against Mongol rule. Not far from Fuga is the large port of Kaiton, which conducts brisk trade with India. From there, after five days of travel, Marco Polo arrived in the city of Zaitong (Quanzhou), the farthest point on his journey through southeastern China.

Marco Polo, having successfully completed his journey, returned again to the court of Kublai Khan. After that, he continued to carry out his various instructions, using his knowledge of Mongolian, Turkish, Manchu and Chinese languages. He took part in an expedition to the Indian Islands and subsequently wrote a report on the voyage through these, then little-known, seas.

10 Leaving China

For eleven years, not counting the time spent traveling from Europe to China, Marco Polo, his father Niccolo and uncle Maffeo remained in the service of the Great Khan. They were homesick and wanted to return to Europe, but Kublai did not agree to let them go. The Venetians rendered him many valuable services, and he offered them all kinds of gifts and honors in order to keep them at his court. However, the Venetians continued to insist on their position. Unexpectedly, a happy accident helped them.

The Mongol Khan Arhun, who reigned in Persia, sent envoys to the Great Khan, who were instructed to ask Kublai Kublai's daughter for Arhun as his wife. Kublai agreed to give his daughter for him and decided to send the bride with a large retinue and a rich dowry to Persia, to Arhun. But the countries lying on the way from China to Persia were in the grip of a rebellion against Mongol rule and it was not safe to travel through them. After some time, the caravan was forced to turn back.

The ambassadors of the Persian Khan, having learned that the Venetians were skilled navigators, began to ask Kublai to entrust them with the “princess”: the ambassadors wanted the Venetians to deliver her to Persia in a roundabout way, by sea, which was not so dangerous.

Kublai Khan, after much hesitation, acquiesced to this request and ordered a fleet of fourteen four-masted ships to be equipped. Maffeo, Niccolo and Marco Polo led the expedition, which was on the road for more than three years.

In 1291, the Mongol fleet left the port of Zaitong (Quanzhou). From here he headed to the vast country of Chianba (Chamba, one of the regions of present-day Vietnam), which was subordinate to the Great Khan. Next, the Khan's fleet headed to the island of Java, which Kublai could not capture.

11 Sumatra

After stopping on the islands of Sendur and Condor (off the coast of Cambodia), Marco Polo reached the island of Sumatra, which he called Lesser Java. “This island extends so far to the south that the polar star is completely invisible, no less, no more,” he said. And this is true for the residents of southern Sumatra. The land there is surprisingly fertile, found on the island wild elephants and rhinoceroses, which Marco Polo called unicorns.

Bad weather delayed the fleet for five months, and the traveler took advantage of the opportunity to visit the main provinces of the island. He was especially struck by sago trees: “Their bark is thin, but inside there is only flour; they make it out of it delicious dough" Finally, the winds allowed the ships to leave Java Lesser.

12 Ceylon

The fleet headed southwest and soon reached Ceylon. This island, Polo said, was once much larger, but the north wind blew there with such force that the sea flooded part of the land. In Ceylon, according to Marco Polo, the most expensive and most beautiful rubies, sapphires, topazes, amethysts, garnets, opals and others were mined gems.

Sixty miles east of Ceylon, the sailors encountered the large Maabar region (Coromandel coast of the Hindustan Peninsula). She was famous for pearl fishing. Marco Polo's journey through India continued along the Coromandel Coast.

From the coast of India, Marco Polo's fleet returned to Ceylon again, and then went to the city of Kail (Kayal) - at that time a busy port where ships from many eastern countries called. Further, rounding Cape Comorin, the most southern point Hindustan, the sailors saw Coillon (present-day Quilon), a harbor on the Malabar coast, which in the Middle Ages was one of the main points of trade with Western Asia.

Leaving Coillon and continuing to sail north along the Malabar coast, Marco Polo's fleet reached the shores of the country of Eli. Having then visited Melibar (Malabar), Gozurat (Gujarat) and Makoran (Makran) - the last city in the northwestern part of India - Marco Polo, instead of ascending to Persia, where the groom of the Mongol princess was waiting for him, headed west across the Gulf of Oman.

13 Madagascar

Marco Polo's desire to see new countries was so strong that he deviated five hundred miles to the side, to the shores of Arabia. The Polo flotilla headed to the island of Skotra (Socotra), which lies at the entrance to the Gulf of Aden. Then descending a thousand miles to the south, he sent his fleet to the shores of Madagascar.

According to the traveler, Madagascar is one of the largest and most beautiful islands in the whole world. The residents here were engaged in crafts and traded in ivory. Merchants who arrived here from the coast of India took only twenty days to travel by sea, but the return journey took them at least three months, since the current in the Mozambique Channel carried their ships to the south. Nevertheless, Indian merchants willingly visited this island, selling gold and silk fabrics here with great profit and receiving sandalwood and ambergris in return.

14 Hormuz

Rising from Madagascar to the northwest, Marco Polo sailed to the island of Zanzibar, and then to the African coast. Marco Polo visited primarily Abasia or Abyssinia, very rich country, where they grow a lot of cotton and make good fabrics from it; then the fleet reached the port of Zeila, almost at the entrance to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and then, following the shores of the Gulf of Aden, stopped successively in Aden, Qalhat (Qalhat), Dufar (Zafar) and, finally, Kurmoz (Hormuz).

Marco Polo's voyage ended in Hormuz. The Mongol princess finally reached the Persian border. By the time of her arrival, Khan Arhun had already died and internecine wars began in the Persian kingdom. Marco Polo gave the Mongol princess under the protection of Arhun's son Hassan, who was just at that time fighting with his uncle, Arhun's brother, who was trying to seize the vacated throne. In 1295, Ghassan's rival was strangled, and Ghassan became the Persian Khan. How it turned out further fate Mongol princess - unknown. Marco Polo, together with his father and uncle, hurried to his fatherland. Their path lay to Trebizond, Constantinople and Negropont (Chalkida), where they boarded a ship and sailed to Venice.

15 Return to Venice

In 1295, after an absence of twenty-four years, Marco Polo returned to hometown. Three travelers, scorched by the sultry rays of the sun, in rough Tatar clothes, with Mongolian manners, almost forgotten native speech, were not recognized even by their closest relatives. In addition, rumors about their death had long been circulating in Venice, and everyone considered the three Polos to have died in Mongolia.

Marco Polo was born around 1254, in Venice or on the island of Korcula (the territory of modern Croatia).

Supporters of the version of the Croatian origin of the family consider Marco Polo's father, Nicolo, and uncle Maffeo to come from Eastern Slavs. Nicolo and Maffeo were merchants who traded with the countries of the East for many years and visited the Volga and Bukhara. In 1269 they returned to Venice from another journey, from

possessions of Khan Kublai (Khubilai).

1271 - Father and uncle take seventeen-year-old Marco Polo on his next journey. Pope Gregory X sent Polo to Asia. The final destination of their route was China - the city of Kambala (Beijing), the starting point was Venice. Descriptions of the path vary. Some researchers claim

that the Polo moved through Akka, Erzurum, Hormuz and Pamir to Kashgar and from there to Beijing. Others believe that the main points of the route were Akka, the southern coast of Asia, the Armenian Highlands, Basra, Kerman, the southern foothills of the Hindu Kush, the Pamirs, the Taklamakan desert, the city of Zhangye (this is China, and travelers

stayed here for about a year), Karakorum.

1275 - one way or another, merchants arrived in Beijing. For many years they traded in China, and Marco Polo was in the service of the Great Khan Kublai and enjoyed the great favor of the ruler.

While occupying his position, Marco Polo traveled almost all of China. Later he was on

appointed ruler of Jiangnan Province. In total, Marco, Nicolo and Maffeo Polo stayed in China for about seventeen years.

1292 - The Polos leave China. Now they are heading to Persia, as they are entrusted with escorting a Mongol princess married to a Persian ruler.

1294 - in

Persia Polo receives news of the death of the Great Khan Kublai, after which they leave for their homeland.

1295 - The Polos return to Venice.

1297 - Marco Polo takes part in a naval battle between Venice and Genoa. He is captured.

dictates to another prisoner, the Pisan Rustician, “The Book” - his memories of a distant journey.

This work at that time was hardly the only source of Western knowledge about Central, Southern and East Asia. Marco Polo was not a geographer, so the distances in his description turned out to be

much overestimated, as a result of which the cartographers did not compile accurate maps. But the descriptions of the life of the eastern peoples, skillfully presented observations turned out to be priceless. Thanks to Polo, Europe learned not only about paper money and cities with a million people (however, not everyone believed in this), but also

about the islands of Java and Sumatra, about the country of Chipingu (Japan), about Ceylon and Madagascar, about Indonesia. It was from Marco Polo that Europe learned about spices, which were later valued as much as gold.

Little is known about Marco Polo's family - he was married and had three daughters, as well as several close relatives.

relatives. Not everything was smooth in the Polo family, sometimes leading to litigation.

January 8, 1324 - Marco Polo dies in Venice. According to researchers, during the last period of his life he was a very rich man. It is also known that before his death Polo gave freedom to one of his slaves and

Many people, having graduated from school a long time ago, are interested in who Marco Polo was, what did he discover and do important for the world?

The beginning of the way

The famous traveler was born in Venice (or on the island of Korcula, the information here is ambiguous) around 1254. His father Nicolo and uncle Maffeo were quite prosperous merchants who carried on long-term trade with eastern countries. They visited Bukhara, on the Volga, in the possessions of Kublai Khan. The famous journey of Marco Polo, which lasted twenty-four years, began in 1271, when the family took the seventeen-year-old boy on their next trip. The elders were engaged commercial affairs, the youngest fell on diplomatic missions of Kublai Khan, who very cordially greeted the merchants.

Chosen path

Marco Polo's route was as follows: the end point of the route was to be the city of Kambala in China (this is modern Beijing), the starting point, of course, was Venice. But historians cast all sorts of doubts on the remaining points. Some claim that travelers went through Akka, Hormuz, Erzurum, Pamir to Kashgar, and from there to Kambala. Other researchers prove that merchants visited Akka, on south coast Asia, in Kerman, Basra, the southern foothills of the Hindu Kush, in the Pamirs, in the Taklamakan desert, we spent a year in the city of Zhangye, visited Karakorum and only then arrived in Beijing.

Life in China

Whatever their route, Marco Polo (what he discovered will become known a little later) and his relatives reached Beijing in 1275. They remained in China for many years, traded successfully, Marco himself served with the Great Khan Kublai Khan and won his great sympathy. It was in the service of the ruler that the Italian traveled all over China, and later even became the ruler of one province called Jiangnan.

Homecoming

In 1292, the Italians nevertheless left China, accompanying the Mongol princess, who was taken to Persia, having married the ruler of that country. They did not go back to China, because in 1294, while already in Persia, they received news of the death of the Great Khan. A year later, the Polo merchants return to their homeland, Venice. In 1297, Marco Polo fights for his home city-state in a naval battle against the troops of Genoa and is captured, where he dictates to another prisoner, Rustician of Pisa, the story of his journey. Marco died in 1324, in January, in his native Venice, being a very rich man, married, with three daughters. What did Marco Polo discover (to summarize briefly)?

Essay by Marco Polo

The “book” of the great traveler is an invaluable vessel of European knowledge about East, South and Central Asia. In fact, Marco Polo discovered not only China, but also all neighboring lands to Europeans. The only drawback of his work is the inaccurate description of travel distances. But Marco was not a geographer, so it was hardly worth expecting such accurate information from him. It is precisely because of this shortcoming that cartographers still cannot compile detailed maps. But his work contains succinct, accurate and colorful descriptions customs, life, beliefs and views of eastern peoples. That's who Marco Polo is. What did he discover for Europe? So basic for modern people, but paper money, spices, various types of tea, and the subtleties of oriental art were unknown to Europeans at that time. People heard about cities with a population of more than a million, about Japan, Ceylon, Indonesia, Madagascar, and Java. This is where Marco Polo visited. What he revealed to Europeans was valuable information that largely influenced the development of European civilization.