Why is Marco Polo so Important? Marco Polo, his uncle, and his father presenting the pope's letter at the court of Kublai Khan, detail of an illuminated manuscript; in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, England. Although it is uncertain if the Polos were of the nobility, the matter was of little importance in Venice, a city of republican and mercantile traditions. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The circumstances into which the world-famous explorer and writer Marco Polo was born were suitably epic. It is, however, difficult to establish which districts he traversed and which he may have described from information gathered en route. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? His father, Niccolo, and his uncle Maffeo were successful jewel merchants who spent much of Marco's childhood in Asia. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The three of them embarked on an … When political events prevented their return to Venice, they traveled eastward to Bukhara (Bokhara) and ended their journey in 1265, probably at the grand khan’s summer residence, Shangdu (immortalized as Xanadu by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge). His travels enabled him to … They were first described by Marco Polo in his book The Travels of Marco Polo and since then have been named after him. Marco's mother died when he was young; therefore, young Marco was primarily raised by extended family.\"The merchant families were the movers and shakers of commerce an… © copyright 2003-2021 Study.com. Writer. 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Polo’s adventures are recounted in his own writings, The Travels, where he describes the peoples, places, and customs of the East, including the fabulous court of the Khan. But why the name Marco Polo sheep? Marco Polo was a Venetian explorer known for the book The Travels of Marco Polo, which describes his voyage to and experiences in Asia. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. Author of, Marco Polo's travels to Asia (1271–95), immortalized in his. Little is known about Marco’s early years except that he probably grew up in Venice. This is the currently selected item. However, when they each returned Zheng He’s accomplishments were more lauded and important than Marco Polo’s. Who were her builders and travellers? Why Marco Polo Marine Ltd's (SGX:5LY) Ownership Structure Is Important By Simply Wall St Published July 20, 2018. He was considered very "Brave" because he sailed the Ocean of "Risk" of falling out of Earth. answer! Marco suggests that they remained there for a year; detained, perhaps, by illness (possibly malaria) that was cured by the benign climate of the district. He was age 15 or 16 when his father and uncle returned to meet him and learned that the pope, Clement IV, had recently died. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Exploration & Marco Polo As travel technology (e.g. While in Asia, Marco Polo, his father and his uncle encountered a number of strange sights, and they even achieved some political success. Activity: World Travelers. Activity: An Age of Adventure. Marco Polo. He was among the first Europeans to visit this part of the world and was the first to record in detail the many things he observed there. It is not clear whether they reached the Mongol summer capital of Shangdu (“Ciandu”) directly or after a detour; in any event, sometime in 1275 (1274, according to the research of Japanese scholar Matsuo Otagi) the Polos were again at the Mongol court, presenting the sacred oil from Jerusalem and the papal letters to their patron, Kublai Khan. Marco Polo works as an envoy for Kublai Khan When Marco Polo was about twenty-one Kublai Khan sent him on very important business to a distant part of China. I am going to take a deep dive into Marco Polo Marine Ltd’s most recent ownership structure, not a frequent subject of discussion among individual investors. Marco Polo’s writings on the places and cultures he witnessed were remarkable and exceptionally accurate – his sharing was valuable! Marco Polo was a merchant in Venice before he became the famous explorer we know today. Before reaching Shazhou, the Polos had traveled primarily among Muslim peoples, though they also encountered Nestorian Christians, Buddhists, Manichaeans, and Zoroastrians. Marco Polo, (born c. 1254, Venice [Italy]—died January 8, 1324, Venice), Venetian merchant and adventurer who traveled from Europe to Asia in 1271–95, remaining in China for 17 of those years, and whose Il milione (“The Million”), known in English as the Travels of Marco Polo, is a classic of travel literature. Through his travels through ancient China he met a very famous Leader of a Clan. He included information on the culture and religion as well as the geography and government of the regions he visited. These stepping-stones led to Shazhou (“Saciu”) on the borders of China, a place now called Dunhuang. During the early part of 1272, they probably passed through Erzurum, in what is now eastern Turkey, and Tabrīz, in what is now northern Iran, later crossing inhospitable deserts infested with brigands before reaching Hormuz on the Persian Gulf. Living among the emperor’s dominions, with his father and uncle, as an advisor and emissary for 16 or 17 years, he returned to Venice by way of Hormuz (aboard ship) and Constantinople (overland). Marco Polo never saw himself as an explorerhe preferred the term wayfarerbut his do-or-die approach to travel helped inspire a whole generation of globetrotting adventurers. Facts About Marco Polo Marco Polo was an Italian merchant adventurer. They are also known as Pamir Argali or Marco Polo’s Argali. Marco Polo Marco Polo was an explorer who traveled from Europe to China and back. The wealth of new geographic information recorded by Polo was widely used in the late 15th and the 16th centuries, during the age of the great European voyages of discovery and conquest. He was considered very "Brave" because he sailed the Ocean of "Risk" of falling out of Earth. That is only natural because Zheng He was part of a large government operation while Marco Polo was just a merchant unrecognized by the majority in Europe. Services, Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. Returning to Acre, they were given proper credentials, and two friars were assigned to accompany them, though they abandoned the Polos shortly after the expedition resumed. He escorted a Mongol princess, with his father and uncle, by sea to Hormuz, and by land to Khorasan, during his return voyage to Venice. Marco Polo was very famous for his travels and stories he told from Ancient China. ( now ʿAkko, Israel ) the papal legate, Teobaldo of Piacenza, them! 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