MARCO POLO'S

DATES

• 1266: Marco Polo's uncle and father meet with Kublai Khan
• 1271: Polo brothers venture out to China
• 1278-1295: spent in Kublai Khan's empire
• 1298: Marco Polo is captured and taken as prisoner in Genoa

CULTURES, CITIES, LANDMARKS

• Polo was fascinated by Chinese culture and their wealth and power
• spent a lot of time at the capital, called Khanbalig
• he said it was the most magnificent city in the world
• the summer palace in Khanbalig was very elaborate and beautiful

SPECIAL OCCASIONS, ACTIVITIES, TRADE

• dealt with widespread trading with the Mongol empire
• closely observed the canal-based transportation system in China
• 1277: Marco became an official in the Privy Council
• relationship with the Khans lasted around 16 years

IBN BATTUTA'S

DATES

• 1325: started traveling (a year after Polo's death)
• 1326: made first pilgrimmage to Mecca
• 1334: arrived in India to look for a government job
• 1342: sultan appointed him as ambassador of China

CULTURES, CITIES, LANDMARKS

• traveled through the "Dar al-Islam" culture with Muslim governments
• benefitted from being a Muslim traveler (charity/ hospitality)
• first traveling embarkment was a hajj to the holy city of Mecca
• spent time in Isfahan where there were mosques and caravansarais

SPECIAL OCCASIONS, ACTIVITIES, TRADE

• marched by torchlight at night/ other rituals when they left Mecca
• met Sufi Muslims in al-Najaf who tried to find God through dance and poetry
• joined a trading ship that sailed down Africa's east coast