Marco Polo's Travels

What is on the map

• 44 Journey

Chronology

1. 1 April 1271The Polos sail from Venicedeparture▸
2. 20 May 1271Acre, where the legate Tedaldo receives themcity▸
3. 15 June 1271Jerusalem: oil from the lamp of the Holy Sepulchrecity▸
4. 1 September 1271Tedaldo Visconti is elected Pope Gregory Xencounter▸
5. 10 November 1271Landfall at Ayas in Lesser Armeniaport▸
6. 1 March 1272Erzurum, in Greater Armeniacity▸
7. 10 April 1272Mount Ararat, where the Ark is said to restcity▸
8. 20 May 1272Tabriz, the great market of Persiacity▸
9. 10 July 1272Saveh and the tombs of the three Magicity▸
10. 1 September 1272Yazd, and the silk they call yasdicity▸
11. 1 November 1272Kerman: turquoise, steel and falconscity▸
12. 15 January 1273Hormuz — the ships are judged unfit for the seaport▸
13. 1 April 1273Back inland, across the desert of Lutcrossing▸
14. 15 August 1273Balkh, a noble city laid waste by the Mongolscity▸
15. 1 November 1273Badakhshan: a year halted by illnesshalt▸
16. 15 September 1274Up the Wakhan corridorcrossing▸
17. 10 October 1274The Pamir: twelve days where fire burns palecrossing▸
18. 20 November 1274Kashgar, where the roads meetcity▸
19. 20 December 1274Yarkandcity▸
20. 20 January 1275Khotan, and its rivers of jadecity▸
21. 20 February 1275Lop: thirty days of desert aheadcrossing▸
22. 15 March 1275Shazhou, at the desert's far edgecity▸
23. 10 April 1275Ganzhou, called Campichucity▸
24. 1 May 1275Shangdu: audience with Kublai Khanaudience▸
25. 1 September 1275Khanbaliq, the Khan's winter capitalcity▸
26. 1 June 1280Mission to Yunnan, the province of Carajanmission▸
27. 1 April 1283The kingdom of Mien: Pagan and its gilded towersmission▸
28. 1 May 1284Yangzhou, where Marco claims three years of officemission▸
29. 1 June 1287Quinsai — 'beyond dispute the finest city in the world'city▸
30. 1 September 1290Zaitun, the greatest port in the worldport▸
31. 1 April 1291Leave at last: escorting the princess Kököchin to Persiadeparture▸
32. 1 February 1292Champaport▸
33. 1 June 1292Five months in Sumatra, waiting for the monsoonhalt▸
34. 1 December 1292The Nicobar and Andaman islandsport▸
35. 20 January 1293Seilan, and the king's rubycity▸
36. 15 March 1293The Malabar coast and the pearl fisheriescity▸
37. 1 November 1293Hormuz again — of six hundred, eighteen survivearrival▸
38. 1 June 1294Arghun is dead: Kököchin weds his son Ghazanencounter▸
39. 1 February 1295Robbed of much of their wealth at Trebizondcity▸
40. 1 May 1295Constantinoplecity▸
41. 1 September 1295Venice, after twenty-four yearsarrival▸
42. 1 September 1296Taken prisoner by the Genoeseencounter▸
43. 1 January 1298Il Milione, dictated in prison to Rustichello da Pisabook▸
44. 1 August 1299Released, he goes home to Venicearrival▸

Routes and campaigns

• 1 April 1271Venice to Acre
• 1 June 1271Acre to Jerusalem
• 15 October 1271Acre to Ayas
• 1 January 1272Through Armenia to Tabriz
• 1 June 1272Down Persia to the Gulf
• 1 February 1273Turned back: north to Balkh
• 1 September 1273Balkh to Badakhshan
• 1 September 1274Over the Pamir to Kashgar
• 1 December 1274The southern rim of the Taklamakan
• 25 February 1275Across the Gobi to Shangdu
• 1 June 1275Shangdu to Khanbaliq
• 1 September 1279Mission south-west to Yunnan
• 1 October 1282Into the kingdom of Mien
• 1 October 1283Back to the Khan
• 1 June 1286Down the Grand Canal to the southern ports
• 15 April 1291Fourteen ships for Persia
• 1 November 1292Across the Indian Ocean
• 15 January 1294Overland to the Black Sea
• 1 March 1295Home through the Aegean

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