c. 1271–1295Reputable sourceWell documented
Marco Polo at the Court of Kublai Khan
On the timeline · around c. 1271–1295 ·
What happened
Around 1275 the young Venetian merchant Marco Polo reached the court of Kublai Khan, entered his service, and — by his own account — spent some seventeen years traveling and working within the empire. The book of his travels, dictated after his return, later amazed Europe with its tales of the fabulous wealth and marvels of the East.
Why it matters
Marco Polo's account gave medieval Europe its fullest picture of Asia and the Mongol world, and it would help fire the imaginations — and ambitions — of the explorers who later sought new routes to the riches of the East.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Marco Polo · Reputable source
Related timelines
- The Age of Exploration → — The road east that lured Europe