Marco Polo – The Teenager Who Redefined the Map of the World

At a time when much of the Earth was uncharted and empires were separated by deserts, oceans, and myth, one teenager dared to leave everything behind and walk into the unknown. His name? Marco Polo — the Venetian explorer who didn’t just travel the world; he changed how the world saw itself. Born in 1254 in Venice, a bustling port city in the heart of medieval trade, Marco Polo grew up surrounded by ships, merchants, and stories of distant lands. But stories weren’t enough. At just 17 years old , he joined his father and uncle on an audacious expedition east — a decision that would define history. Their path lay along the Silk Road , one of the most perilous and majestic trade routes the world had ever known. Over 24,000 kilometers of harsh terrain lay between them and their destination: the court of the most powerful man alive — Kublai Khan , emperor of the vast Mongol Empire. The journey was brutal. The Polos battled sandstorms in the Gobi Desert, snow-covered peaks in...