Marco Polo Crosses Central Asia

Timeline

1. 1271–1272Balkh · KhorasanThe Polo party set out from Persia in the Ilkhanate, entering the northern edge of Central Asia via Khorasan; after resting at Balkh and elsewhere they continued east, using travel permits issued by the Mongol khans' court and advancing along the empire's postal relay system.
2. 1272–1273Badakhshan · BadakhshanThe caravan entered the eastern Pamir Plateau through the Badakhshan mountains; the travel account records the plateau's thin air and treacherous roads. This leg was a key geographic bottleneck of Eurasian overland communication and a natural passage between Central and East Asia.
3. 1273–1275Kashgar · Southern Tianshan routeDescending from the Pamirs, the Polo party traveled east along the northern or southern rim of the Tarim Basin via Kashgar, Turfan, and other places into the Western Regions under direct Yuan rule, finally reaching the court of Kublai Khan and completing the long overland journey across Central Asia.