The Most Famous Travelers Who Made Mark in History

In our article, we have shared the most famous travelers who made mark in history for those who love to travel and explore.

Leif Ericsson

According to the Scandinavian "Saga of the Greenlanders", Leif Ericsson, who is thought to have been the first European to reach coastal North America and born in 970, sailed in search of the coasts he heard about from Icelandic explorer Bjarni. After a long journey, Leif Ericsson set foot on the mountainous land with large glaciers and no flora, and named it "Helluland". The second place he landed was a forested area with beaches of white sand, which he named "Markland" and is now thought to be Labrador. Although these are thought to be based on a saga, the fact that structures of Norwegian style are discovered in current archaeological studies is likely to prove that Leif was the first European to discover North America.

Marco Polo

Marco Polo was born in 1254 in Venice, and he traveled for the first time with his father, who was a merchant. Having the opportunity to visit the trade centers in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea at a young age, Marco Polo managed to become a worldwide known traveler with the journeys he made with his father. Apart from numerous journeys he made later on, his journey to China with his father and uncle to deliver a letter to Kublai Khan was the most important one.  Marco Polo arrived China after crossing Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Iran, Turkestan, Pamir Mountains and Gobi Desert. Completing this task assigned, he won the trust and friendship of Kublai Khan. The information about the traveler, who traveled the eastern countries for 17 years by the order of Kublai Khan, has reached the present day with his book "Marco Polo's Travel Book". He has also inspired many travelers, including Christopher Columbus, with his book.

Ibn-i Batuta

Ibn-i Batuta was born in 1305 and set off for the first time in 1325 for Haj. Ibn Battuta traveled to Syria, Hejaz, Anatolia, Ukraine, Istanbul, Turkistan, Afghanistan and Delhi during this journey, which extended to Alexandria. Serving as qadi (judge) in Delhi for 7 years, Ibn Battuta stayed in the Maldives for 1.5 years and then went to China through Bengal and Sumatra. Returning to Mecca in 1348, the traveler traveled around Spain and Central Africa in the later years. Ibn Battuta arrived Morocco late in 1353 and stayed there for 16 years, and died at the age of 65. "Ibn-i Batuta's Travel Book", an important work for Turkish people that tells about the travels of Ibn-i Batuta, includes information about Orhan Gazi and the Kipchaks.

Evliya Celebi

Born on March 25, 1611 in Istanbul, Evliya Celebi is recognized as the greatest traveler in Turkish history. Evliya Celebi managed to attract the attention of Sultan Murat IV at a young age as a hafiz (a person who knows the Koran by heart), which made him easily get a job in the palace. Then, Evliya Celebi traveled to many places around the world and Anatolia, from Crimea to Vienna, from Hijaz to North Africa. Compiling the experiences he had during this trip in his work "Seyahatname", Celebi also addressed the geographical, economic, political and social order of the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century.