Images

A bronze coin of Zhu Yuanzhang, the future Hongwu Emperor (r. 1368-1398 CE) who was the founder of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE).

A modern statue of the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan (l. 1215-1294 CE). Sukhbaatar Square, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

A sculpture depicting the Venetian explorer Marco Polo who famously travelled to China between 1271 and 1295 CE. (Villa Borghese, Rome)

Marco Polo’s travels (1271–1295) represent one of the most famous European journeys into Asia during the late Middle Ages. Setting out from Venice with his father Niccolò and uncle Maffeo, Polo crossed through the Middle East and Central...

Abd al-Rahman III Receiving the Ambassador by Dionisio Baixeras Verdaguer (1862–1943 CE). Oil on canvas, 1885 CE. University of Barcelona

Caliphal palace at Madinat al-Zahra, near Cordoba, Spain, built by Abd al-Rahman III (r. 912-961 CE).

Caliphal palace at Madinat al-Zahra, near Cordoba, Spain, built by Abd al-Rahman III (r. 912-961 CE).

The Moabite Stone, an ancient tablet dating to around 850 BCE, written by Mesha, the king of Moab (modern Jordan). (Louvre Museum, Paris)

A detail of the Moabite Stone, an ancient tablet dating to around 850 BCE, written by Mesha, the king of Moab (modern Jordan). (Louvre Museum, Paris)

An examination hall in Suzhou where candidates sat for the civil service examinations which were conducted throughout the history of imperial China. Painted scroll by Xiu Yang, 18th century CE. (Liaoning Provincial Museum, Shenyang, China)