Ibn Battuta: The truth Behind the Footstep of Marco Polo

Marco Polo was an Italian trader and traveler who became famous for his travels in central Asia and, most notably, China on the Silk Road. He provided Europeans with the first information about China in his book, The Description of the World, which he wrote in 1298. It was the most popular book in Medieval Europe and many thought of it as a fairytale and not a true story. Although many of the stories Marco Polo told of his travels werethought by many to be lies, many others believed what he said. His descriptions were used widely as geography books and his writing had a huge impact on world exploration.

In 1271, Marco Polo began traveling with his father, Nicolo Polo, and his uncle Maffeo Polo. In fact, they spent 24 years traveling together! The Polos first sailed the Mediterranean Sea from Venice, Italy to the Middle East. Next, they traveled to Persia (modern day Iran), through the Pamir Mountains and Gobi Desert, to Beijing, China. Polo explored China and what are now Vietnam and Sumatra.