William of Rubruck rides to Karakorum

1253

A Flemish Franciscan, sponsored by Louis IX, journeyed across the Black Sea and the steppes to the court of Mongke. He debated Buddhists, Nestorians, and Muslims before the Khan and left behind one of the sharpest travel accounts of the medieval world. His detailed description of Mongol food, dress, and religious tolerance remains more reliable than Marco Polo's famous but often embellished narrative.