Marco Polo
Connected Sites
| Site | Rationale | Link |
| Beijing Central Axis | ICOMOS ackowledges the 'Travels of Marco Polo' can be considered a 'valuable source of information' in relation to the nominated property, but not enough for 'global significance'. "ICOMOS notes that while the Travels of Marco Polo is an important literary work, it is not solely associated with the nominated property and its timeframe corresponds only to the initial phase of the Axis during the Yuan Dynasty and not to the Ming Dynasty when its major development took place. The nomination dossier mentions that the book describes in detail the layout of the nominated property when it was established as Dadu, and ICOMOS considers that as such, it can be used as a valuable source of information, but the association does not itself demonstrate outstanding global significance." - AB Evaluation | |
| Grand Canal | "In the late 1200s, Marco Polo traveled extensively through China and his trips included time on the Grand Canal, then a major artery for shipping silk, porcelain, and wine." (wiki) | |
| Hiraizumi | "Some say that accounts of the sparkling light reflecting off the Konjiki-do led the Venetian traveller Marco Polo to describe Japan as a land so rich that all the rooves were made of gold." | |
| Istanbul | Passed through on his return to Venice | |
| Old City of Acre | He received his credentials and picked up his 2 "Friar" travelling companions there | |
| Old City of Jerusalem | He visited to pick up the holy oil following Kublai Khan's request to his father Niccolo on his own earlier trip | |
| Qalhat | Marco Polo wrote of Qalhat: “Calatu (his name for Qalhat) is a great city, within a gulf that bears the name of Calatu. It is a noble city, and lies 600 miles from Dhufar towards the northwest, upon the seashore. The people are Saracens and are subject to Hormos. And whenever the King of Hormos is at war with some prince more potent than himself, he betakes himself to this city of Calatu, because it is very strong, both from its positions and from its fortifications. They grow no corn there, but get it from abroad, for every merchant vessel that comes brings some. The haven is very large and good, and is frequented by numerous ships with goods from India, and from this city the spices and other merchandise are distributed among the cities and towns of the interior. They export also many good Arab horses to India. For as I have told you before the number of horses exported from this and other cities to India is something astonishing“. | |
| Quanzhou | "In 1291, Marco Polo visited Quanzhou, exclaiming that is was "one of the two largest ports in the world"." (Nomination file, p. 284) | |
| Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple | Marco Polo, during his visit to the Kakatiya empire, allegedly called the temple "the brightest star in the galaxy of temples" (wiki) | |
| Site of Xanadu | opened eyes of the world to China and the marvels of Xanadu (AB ev) | |
| Socotra Archipelago | Later, on the 13th century, the great Venetian seafarer, Marco Polo, reported: "The inhabitants are baptized Christians and have an archbishop. ... It should explain that the archbishop of Socotra has nothing to do with the pope of Rome, but is subject to an archbishop who lives in Baghdad. ... You should know also that, if the archbishop of Socotra dies, his successor must be sent from Baghdad, otherwise there could never be an archbishop here." (nom file) | |
| Tabriz Bazaar | ||
| Tajik National Park | visited the Pamir mountains and wrote about them (Marco Polo may have travelled along the Panj River - wiki) | |
| Venice and its Lagoon | Born and returned there | |
| West Lake | Marco Polo apparently visited Hangzhou. He wrote about the lake too (see link). There is even a statue of him by the lake. | |
| Yazd | In 1272 it was visited by Marco Polo, who remarked on the city's fine silk-weaving industry. |
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