They hoped the Khan would provide them with safe passage home. In 1264, still in Bukhara, they met an ambassador heading to Kublai Khan’s court in Khanbaliq and joined him on his trip. This made the roads unsafe, and they were forced to stay in Bukhara (located in present day Uzbekistan) for three years. When they were ready to return home, war broke out between Kublai Khan and his brother Hulagu. 3 The Polo brothers traded on this road for many years. Kublai Khan was responsible for re-opening a 5000 mile trade route between Europe and Asia called the Silk Road. China and other parts of eastern Asia were ruled by Kublai Khan, grandson to the Mongol warrior Genghis Khan. Marco would not see his father again until he was 15. Niccolo and Maffeo left Venice in 1254 and traveled east. 2 Marco’s story begins with his father and uncle’s journeys. As a child of a merchant family, he would have received a nice education that included reading, writing, and basic math. His father and uncle, Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, were merchants who traveled often to Asia to trade valuable materials such as jewels and silk. He was born into a family of wealthy merchants. Not much is known of his early childhood. Marco Polo was born in 1254 in Venice, Italy. It is even said that Marco Polo’s exciting stories were a favorite of another famous explorer – Christopher Columbus.
His book would go on to inspire other explorers. Marco traveled much of China and the east, and his stories were written into a popular book. They traveled the Silk Road to China where he met the great ruler Kublai Khan. At 17, he left Venice with his father and uncle. Marco Polo was a merchant in Venice before he became the famous explorer we know today.
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