Marco Polo was only 6 years old when his father and uncle set out eastward on their first trip to Cathay (China). He was by then 15 years old when his father and his uncle returned to Venice and his mother had already passed away. He remained in Venice with his father and uncle for two more years and then three of them embarked the most couragous journey to Cathay the second time.

At the end of year 1271, receiving letters and valuable gifts for the Great Khan from the new Pope Tedaldo (Gregory x), the Polos once more set out from Venice on their journey to the east. They took with them 17-year-old Marco Polo. They passed through Armenia, Persia, and Afghanistan, over the Pamirs, and all along the Silk Road to China.

Avoiding to travel the same route the Polos did 10 years ago, they made a wide swing to the north, first arriving to the southern Caucasus and the kingdom of Georgia. Then they journeyed along the regions parallel to the western shores of the Caspian Sea, reaching Tabriz and made their way south to Hormuz on the Persian Gulf. They intended to take sea route to the Chinese port.


About Silk Road

During the 6-14th century, there were thousands of large and small routes that crossed Asian Continent leading to the West. Caravans followed these routes and each was filled with exotic clothes, eastern goods and spices. These routes raised the Great Silk Road. Along Great Silk Road towns, cities and caravanserai were created. Hence the various centers for national crafts, art schools, madrasahs, palaces and mausoleums. Traders, missionaries and refuges were travelling together bringing along new religions, customs, products like glass, porcelain, soap and gunpowder and most important a different culture.
They were the ones who created herbariums, collected methods of curing diseases and studied the stars. In many ways, for more than thousands of years Great Silk Road linked many countries and its people by means of peaceful activities such as trade, culture and spiritual exchanges that is unique to all mankind.

The Great Silk Road routes started from a town called Lanchjou and stretched to cities of Tor and Sodom, both Mediterranean ports which acted as a junction between the East and West. This old East-West trading trail transplanted culture, customs and religious from one center to the next and vice-versa. Again, the Great Silk Road will be re-opened to tourists, magnificent architectural monuments, unique works of calligraphy, silks, rugs and pottery produced by ancient craftsmen in our fascinating tours.

Story of Silk Road is fascinating and full of military conquest, fearless explorers, religious pilgrims and great thinkers, along with the humble tradesmen who risked life and limb for profit as they led their loaded caravans across dangerous deserts, mountains and steppes. In the history of Great Silk Road there are such figures as Alexander the Great, Marco Polo, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane were all familiar with Silk Road which was established by 100DC. It lasted until 15th century when newly-discovered sea routes to Asia opened up.