Explorers of the Middle Ages
The atlas holds 5 people and 213 moments here, from 1254 to 1451. The most recorded lives are Ibn Battuta, Petrarch and Zheng He.
Notable people
Ibn Battuta
from 1304 to 1369
113 moments here
Maghrebi Muslim jurist, traveller, explorer, and author from Tangier. Between 1325 and 1354 he journeyed through North and East Africa, the Middle…
Petrarch
from 1304 to 1374
38 moments here
Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) was an Italian scholar, poet, cleric, diplomat, and foundational humanist.…
Zheng He
from 1371 to 1433
36 moments here
Zheng He (born Ma He) was a Ming Chinese admiral and diplomat who commanded seven state-sponsored voyages across the South China Sea and Indian…
Marco Polo
from 1254 to 1324
25 moments here
Venetian merchant, traveler, and author whose account describes journeys across Asia between 1271 and 1295.…
Christopher Columbus
in 1451
1 moment here
Genoese navigator who completed four Castilian-sponsored Atlantic expeditions between 1492 and 1504.…
Moments
- 1254 Born in Venice Marco Polo
- 1269 Meets his returning father in Venice Marco Polo
- 1271 Disembarks at Acre Marco Polo
- 1271 Reaches the Cilician port of Ayas Marco Polo
- 1271 Returns to Acre for the papal commission Marco Polo
- 1274 Visits Yarkand oasis Marco Polo
- 1275 Accompanies Kublai to Khanbaliq Marco Polo
- 1275 Meets Kublai Khan at Shangdu Marco Polo
- 1277 Travels on a mission into Yunnan Marco Polo
- 1280 Visits Champa Marco Polo
- 1282 Serves at Yangzhou Marco Polo
- 1284 Stays in Hangzhou Marco Polo
- 1284 Undertakes a mission to Sri Lanka Marco Polo
- 1292 Departs China from Quanzhou Marco Polo
- 1292 Waits five months in Sumatra Marco Polo
- 1293 Arrives at Hormuz from the Indian Ocean Marco Polo
- 1293 Returns to Sri Lanka by sea Marco Polo
- 1293 Visits the Maabar coast Marco Polo
- 1294 Reaches the Ilkhanate with Kököchin Marco Polo
- 1295 Returns to Venice after twenty-four years Marco Polo
- 1296 Captured off the Anatolian coast Marco Polo
- 1298 Imprisoned in Genoa Marco Polo
- 1299 Returns home after release Marco Polo
- 1304 Born in Tangier Ibn Battuta
- 1304 Birth at Arezzo Petrarch
- 1305 Childhood at Incisa Petrarch
- 1312 Childhood at Pisa Petrarch
- 1312 Schooling at Carpentras Petrarch
- 1316 Law studies at Montpellier Petrarch
- 1320 Arrival for studies at Bologna Petrarch
- 1321 Journey through Venice Petrarch
- 1322 Return to Bologna Petrarch
- 1324 Buried at San Lorenzo Marco Polo
- 1324 Dies in Venice Marco Polo
- 1325 Enters Tunis Ibn Battuta
- 1325 Falls ill at Béjaïa Ibn Battuta
- 1325 Halts outside Algiers Ibn Battuta
- 1325 Reaches Tripoli Ibn Battuta
- 1325 Recovers briefly at Annaba Ibn Battuta
- 1325 Shelters in Constantine Ibn Battuta
- 1325 Stays at Miliana Ibn Battuta
- 1325 Stops in Tlemcen Ibn Battuta
- 1325 Leaves Tangier for the hajj Ibn Battuta
- 1325 Delayed at Gabès Ibn Battuta
- 1325 Marries at Sfax Ibn Battuta
- 1325 Passes through Sousse Ibn Battuta
- 1326 Approaches Aydhab Ibn Battuta
- 1326 Arrives in Cairo Ibn Battuta
- 1326 Stays four days in Medina Ibn Battuta
- 1326 Travels through Damietta Ibn Battuta