Although the information about his life and travels is not certain, it is stated that he was born in Venice in 1254 in a merchant family. It is known that his merchant father Nicolo and uncle Matteo were engaged in commercial activities in an area extending from Istanbul, Crimea, Volga, Iran and then to China. During their travels in 1260-69, they reached Beijing and met with Kublai Khan.
After returning to their country, they were sent to Beijing again by Pope Gregorio. But this time they took Marco Polo and two missionaries with them. This visit, which took place between 1271-74, ended in Kublai Khan's summer palace. Despite his young age, Marco Polo improved his language skills and played a role in some official duties. In 1292, they started their return journey with a fleet of fourteen ships and 700 crew members. At the end of 15 months, they reached the port of Hormuz in Iran. Their mission here was to accompany Princess Cocacin, who was sent by Kublai Khan to be the wife of Argun Khan. However, since Argun Khan passed away, they became the guests of Ghazan Khan. In 1295, the group arrived in Venice and although they told about what they had experienced and seen, they were not welcomed with much interest.
In 1298, Marco Polo, who was conscripted when the Venice-Cenova war started, was captured in the Battle of Curzola and thrown into prison. Rustichello from Pisa, who stayed in the same ward, started to write down what he heard from Polo after his release in 1299.
Marco Polo married and had three children after his release. Marco Polo, who died in 1324, was buried in the Church of San Lorenzo.
Written by his friend Rustichello, the work was written in French, the most common language of the period. This work, which is a travelogue, has an important place in the fields of literature, culture and Oriental studies. This work, which sometimes contains exaggerated events, describes the administrative systems, agricultural and commercial activities and economic conditions of the places Marco Polo visited. The fact that he quotes some merchants and missionaries in the work has led to some debates about the authenticity of the text. In addition, the fact that there is no information about the Great Wall of China and tea has created a debate that the information is fabricated.
The travelogue contains important information especially about the Turkish-Islamic geography. After setting sail, Marco Polo and his companions disembarked at the harbour of Laiazzo (now called "Yumurtalık") and crossed the lands of Southeastern Anatolia. In the work, this region is referred to as the province of "Turcomannia". It is also described that the region was a livelihood centre for animal husbandry and that the most beautiful silk carpets in the world were woven in the region. In addition, Armenians and Greeks were also involved in trade and crafts. Marco Polo also mentions the war between the Aq Qoyunlu and Qara Qoyunlu and states that Noah's ark was found on the border of Georgia. He then passes through Iran and gives information about the cities here. Immediately afterwards, he crosses Mongolia and Turkestan and arrives in 1275 in the presence of Kublai Khan, with whom he will stay for 17 years. This residence, which is the main subject of the work, gives information about the ruler of the period, the state scheme, trade and daily life. It also gives information about Japan, which is called "Zipangu".
REFERENCES
MAHMUT H. ŞAKİROĞLU, "MARCO POLO", TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/marco-polo (07.03.2024).
Marco Polo, Venezia e l’Oriente, Milano 1981.
Turgut Akpınar, “Yüzyıllardır Dünyayı Aldatan Venedikli Marco Polo Çin’i Gördü Mü?”, TT, XXXV/209 (2001), s. 335-338.
Marco Polo, Seyahatname, Alfa Yayınları, İstanbul, 2021.
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