Marco Polo Relationship With Kublai Khan

Marco Polo: The Original Travel Bro, and His BFF Kublai Khan

Ever had that friend who comes back from a trip and you're like, "Dude, you're not making this up, right?" That's basically what happened when Marco Polo returned from his adventures and started telling tales about his buddy, Kublai Khan. Let's dive into their bromance, shall we?

Marco, The Wandering Salesman

Picture this: it's the 13th century, and our guy Marco is just a regular Venetian merchant's son. He's got the travel bug, though, and he's not afraid to hitch a ride on a trading ship to the 'Stans. He ends up in Khan's court, and boom! They're besties.

Imagine it like this: Marco is the guy who shows up at a party with the most interesting stories, and Kublai Khan is the host who's like, "You're not leaving until you've told me everything."

Kublai Khan, The Ultimate Host

Now, Kublai Khan, he's the emperor of the Mongol Empire, which is like the ultimate Airbnb of the time. He's got palaces everywhere, and he's always inviting Marco to stay awhile. Marco's like, "Dude, I'm just a salesman, not a royal," but Khan's all, "Nah, you're my guest, and you're gonna tell me all about this 'Italy' place."

It's like when you have that one friend who's always like, "You're staying for dinner, right? And dessert? And maybe the night?" That's Kublai Khan for you.

Marco's Travel Tales: The Original Instagram

Marco's got this way of describing places that's like the original Instagram. He's talking about paper money, which is blowing everyone's minds, and he's drawing maps that are like, "Yo, this is how you get there." He's basically the first travel influencer, and Khan's his captive audience.

Image of Marco Polo at the court of Kublai Khan, 20th century by

It's like when you're showing your friend pictures from your vacation, and they're like, "This is amazing, I can't even deal," but they're also a little jealous. That's Khan, right there.

Marco, The Matchmaker

Now, Marco's not just telling stories; he's also trying to set up a trade deal between Khan and some European dudes. He's like the original matchmaker, trying to get these two to swap some goods and services. It's a lot of back and forth, but eventually, they work it out.

It's like when you're trying to set up your single friend with someone, and it takes forever, but then they finally hit it off, and you're like, "I told you so!"

Kublai Khan & Marco Polo | History, Facts & Relationship - Lesson

Marco's Book: The First Travel Guide

So, Marco finally heads back home, and what does he do? He writes a book, of course. "The Travels of Marco Polo" is like the first travel guide, filled with all the stuff he told Khan about. It's a bestseller, and everyone's like, "This guy's not making it up!"

It's like when you finally get around to writing down all those stories you've been telling, and suddenly, everyone's like, "Wow, you should totally write a book."

So, What's The Moral Of The Story?

Marco and Khan's friendship is a reminder that sometimes, all it takes is a good story and an open mind to forge a connection. Whether you're a wandering salesman or an emperor, there's always room for a good bromance. And who knows? Maybe you'll even write a book about it.

Now, go forth and make some friends, tell some stories, and maybe, just maybe, you'll be the next Marco Polo. Just remember to bring back some cool souvenirs for the rest of us.