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Believed to be the original outbreak area; plague may have emerged from marmot populations in this region of Central Asia.
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Gravestones near this lake in modern-day Kyrgyzstan suggest early plague deaths, providing some of the first evidence of the disease’s spread westward.
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Plague reached the trading centres along the Volga River, spreading via Mongol trade routes and river traffic.
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The plague devastated the city of Caffa (a Genoese trading post), where it’s believed Mongols catapulted plague-infected corpses over the city walls—potentially the first instance of biological warfare.
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The disease spread to the Byzantine capital via ships from the Black Sea, killing thousands in a densely populated urban centre.
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A major Mediterranean port, Alexandria saw rapid transmission due to maritime trade with plague-affected regions.
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The disease continued through Italian ports and into the Balkans, devastating cities such as Florence, Venice, and Athens.
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The plague entered Europe when infected Genoese ships docked at Messina, spreading quickly among the population.
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Trade and pilgrimage routes brought the plague to Egypt, leading to catastrophic population losses, especially in Cairo.
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Key maritime republics were hit hard, both as trading hubs and as points of further contagion into mainland Europe.
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The Black Death arrived via ships from France, it spreads inland rapidly.
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Islamic pilgrims from infected regions carried the plague to the holy city, where it caused major loss of life during religious gatherings.
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Reached cities in the Holy Roman Empire, Scandinavia, and parts of Eastern Europe; death tolls were staggering in urban and rural communities alike.
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Trade and pilgrimage spread the disease further into the Arabian Peninsula, where it disrupted local societies and economies.
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The final major city in the wave, Moscow was struck last as the plague completed its sweep across Eurasia.