Another Yuan Dynasty traveler's journal—no wonder it was written in classical Mongolian.
Still, what puzzled Martin was this: wasn't "Church of the East" a sect of Christianity? Why, then, was a golden copy of the Quran stored inside this stone box?
Judging from the handwriting, the golden Quran and the journal appeared to be written by the same person—this man named Rabban Sauma.
But why would he, a Christian monk, handwrite a Muslim scripture?
"Maqutus and I were granted permission by the Great Yuan Emperor—Kublai Khan—to embark on a holy pilgrimage. Our goal was to reach the Patriarch of the Church of the East, Mar Denha, and also to visit Jerusalem..."
"After four arduous years, traveling through Western Xia, Qumis, Rayy, Damascus, and Mosul, we finally reached the Ilkhanate capital, Maragha (present-day Iran)..."
"We tried to continue westward, but since Jerusalem had fallen under the control of the Mamluks of Egypt, we were unable to proceed. So, instead, we diverted to Mosul (modern-day Mosul)..."
"Two years later (1287), in response to the growing Mamluk threat, the Ilkhanate Khan Arghun requested that Mar Yahballaha send envoys to Constantinople and Rome to discuss potential military cooperation with the Christian world. I accepted this task and began my mission."
"I first arrived in Constantinople, where I met with the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, Andronikos II. Later, I proceeded to Rome. However, the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor had both recently died, and no one could give me a clear response. So I continued on to Paris and met with King Philip IV of France. He expressed willingness to send troops and cooperate with the Ilkhanate to reclaim Jerusalem..."
"While passing through Sicily, I witnessed a natural disaster—possibly the eruption of Mount Etna or Stromboli. A few days later, I arrived in Naples and met with King Charles II. During my stay, war broke out between the Kingdom of Naples and the Aragonese at the Gulf of Sorrento (known in Catalan records as the War of the Counts, occurring June 23–24, 1287)..."
"Next, I journeyed to Gascony and met King Edward I of England (likely in Bordeaux). Edward warmly welcomed our envoy, but due to internal conflicts, especially those involving the Welsh and Scots, he could not join a military alliance..."
"On my return journey, I met the newly appointed Pope Nicholas IV in Rome and delivered the Ilkhanate's letter. I was honored to receive his permission to celebrate Easter in Rome. During that time, I performed an Eastern rite Mass and was blessed by Nicholas IV, who acknowledged that while our languages differed, our worship was the same."
"Two years later (1289), I returned to Baghdad. Though my mission failed to secure military cooperation between the Ilkhanate and Christendom, Nicholas IV was deeply impressed by the faith of the Mongol rulers and sent missionaries such as Montecorvino to the East. Before long, the Church of the East officially acknowledged the Pope as its spiritual leader..."
"I settled in Baghdad, translating foreign manuscripts into the Yuan script, and often held intellectual exchanges with local scholars..."
"By chance, I heard of a distant land in Africa called Timbuktu—a place where minds gathered from around the world, where scholars shared their ideas freely, where religions coexisted peacefully—Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, all living side by side... I was deeply curious..."
"And so I journeyed again—across the Mediterranean, through Egypt and Niger, nearly dying in the great desert called the Sahara..."
"I arrived at this place—Timbuktu."
"It was wondrous... Scholars from all nations came here to exchange ideas and spark inspiration. Here, there were no borders. No religion split people apart. I loved it here..."
"Today, I received an invitation from the University of Sankore to become a teacher. I finally gained access to its great library, and I relished the feeling of swimming in an ocean of knowledge..."
"War broke out. A dear Muslim friend, Abdullah, I made many Muslim friends here—was conscripted into the army. I, being too old, was spared..."
"Before leaving, Abdullah entrusted me with his family's treasured Quran. He asked that I safeguard it. If he returned, I would give it back. If not, I was to deliver it to his family in Lamotudan (then still an independent kingdom, later conquered by the Ilkhanate)..."
"He once saved my life. I gave him my word..."
"The war ended. Abdullah never came back. My house was burned down. The Quran was lost..."
"I decided to write a new copy for him—using a material that fire could not destroy..."
"I considered writing it in Yuan script, for Abdullah always dreamed of bringing Islam to the East. Though it already existed there, he believed it was not the true teaching..."
"I completed this labor—a golden Quran. Abdullah, I hope you are smiling in heaven. I also copied another version in his native Sudanese tongue, which I hoped to deliver to his family..."
"But now I am ill. I cannot finish my promise. I feel death drawing near. I miss Baghdad. I miss my disciple, Markos..."
"If I die here, I hope someone one day reads this journal and fulfills my last wish—to bring this golden Quran to Abdullah's family. That is my only regret..."
Martin felt something stir in his chest.
This man, Rabban Sauma, who claimed descent from the Onggud tribe (the same as the modern-day Yugur people), had spent his entire life on the road. From East Asia to Central Asia, to Western Asia, across all of Europe, and finally from East Africa to West Africa—his footprints stretched across three continents (1).
His travelogue, written from the perspective of a foreign observer immersed in other cultures, offered rare insight into late-Crusades Europe and the twilight of the medieval world. To historians, it was invaluable. ✅
His life? Truly legendary.
Not only had he lived through the Yuan Dynasty, he had been received by two Popes, served two Ilkhanate Khans, and personally witnessed the diplomatic exchanges between Mongol rulers and the papacy. ✅
He'd visited Hagia Sophia, St. Paul's, and received gifts from the Eastern Roman Emperor (2), the King of England (3), and the King of France ✅. He'd seen war erupt between Sicily and Aragon, watched Mount Etna erupt ❌, documented the Jewish expulsions in Sicily and Gascony (4), dined with the Pope in Rome, befriended Genoese merchants, Norman lords, and monks from Bourges...
Martin exhaled softly and shook his head.
A life like that... is nothing short of a legend.
[1. He did not travel to East or West Africa—there is no historical record of him going to Africa at all.]
[2. Nah. he just received a fucking hospitality and not gifts.]
[3. He didn't fucking even fucking go to england.]
[4. Jewish expulsions from Gascony (France) and Sicily did occur in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. So yeah, it's fucking innacurate and he didn't document shit.]
[GodOfReader: Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I just spent at least 30 minutes reading and fact-checking all this crap. If this happens again, I swear I'll skip the entire Chapter or delete the whole damn paragraph. "Oh.. What about the plot hole?" DON'T FUCKING CARE AND NOT MY PROBLEM.]
❌ = Fucking Inaccurate!