Rubruquis, Guillaume
Rubruquis, Guillaume
(also William of Rubrouck). Born between 1215 and 1220; died 1293. Flemish traveler; monk.
From 1253 to 1255, Rubruquis made a journey to Mongolia at the head of a diplomatic mission from the French king Louis IX. He left France for Palestine, then traveled through Constantinople, the Crimea, the Don steppes, and Middle Asia to central Mongolia. He reached the city of Karakorum in 1254; on the return trip, he passed through the Caucasus and Asia Minor. Rubruquis’s account of his journey describes the history, ethnology, and geography of the regions he visited.