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Primary sourcePainting15th century

The Polos in Bukhara Meeting Hulagu's Representative

Unknown · 15th century

A 15th-century manuscript illustration showing Marco Polo's father and uncle meeting a representative of the Mongol ruler Hulagu in Bukhara, as described in Polo's own narrative.

This illustration depicts an episode from Polo's own narrative, showing his father and uncle's earlier journey into Mongol lands.

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Medieval manuscript miniature in warm colors: on the left, two riders on white and grey horses ride toward a pink-walled gateway with arches and battlements. On the right, robed men in conversation and a bearded figure in a tall hat with clasped hands stand before a crenellated wall.
The Polos in Bukhara, meeting with the representative of Hulagu. Manuscript illustration, 15th century.

About this source

What it is

This is a painted miniature from a 15th-century manuscript, showing the Polo brothers arriving in Bukhara and meeting a representative of the Mongol ruler Hulagu. The scene illustrates events described in Marco Polo's own travel account.

Why it matters

This image shows how later artists visualized the journeys recounted in Polo's writings, long after they took place. It reflects both the fascination medieval Europe had with the Mongol world and the way Polo's narrative shaped ideas about distant lands.

Look closer

  • What details in the clothing, architecture, or horses tell you this is a medieval European depiction rather than an Asian one?
  • Why might an illustrator choose to depict this particular meeting from Polo's travels?
  • What might this image leave out or get wrong about the real place and people it shows?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Marco Polo on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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