A Journey That Began with Faith
On June 14, 1325, at age 21, Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta left Tangier, Morocco, to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca. His original journey was meant to last about 16 months, but instead, he spent the next 30 years traveling across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, covering an estimated 117,000 km (73,000 mi)—far more than Marco Polo or Zheng He.
Exploring the Islamic World and Beyond
After completing the Hajj, Ibn Battuta continued east, visiting Persia, Iraq, Yemen, and the Swahili Coast. He later traveled to India, where he was appointed a judge by Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq in Delhi. His journey also took him to the Maldives, Sri Lanka, China, and even Al-Andalus (Spain). He documented diverse cultures, economies, and religious practices.
A Written Account of His Travels
Near the end of his life, Ibn Battuta returned to Morocco, where the Marinid Sultan Abu Inan Faris commissioned him to dictate his experiences. This became The Rihla, a detailed account of his travels that remains one of the most valuable records of the medieval world.
On June 14, 1325, at age 21, Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta left Tangier, Morocco, to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca. His original journey was meant to last about 16 months, but instead, he spent the next 30 years traveling across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and… pic.twitter.com/WCsULztdOO
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