The Travels of Marco Polo

The narrative turns into a travelogue, with descriptions of various places that Marco Polo visited. In some cases, he has opinions about the people therein. Of the people of Lesser Armenia, he has this to say: “In former times its gentry were esteemed expert and brave soldiers; but at the present day they are great drinkers, mean-spirited, and worthless” (740-41). Of particular interest to Marco, whose father and brother were both merchants, is Layas, a port. Marco names its strategic importance: “Those who plan to travel into the interior of the Levant usually start from this port” (743). 

Three classes of people live in this area. One, the Turkomans, Marco finds to be “a primitive people and dull of intellect” (749), although they also have “an excellent breed of horses” and “fine mules” (750). The Armenians and Greeks are the other two groups encountered and seem to have more to offer Polo:“the best and handsomest carpets in the world are woven here, and also silks of crimson and other rich colors” (752).