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Moroccan greats: Ibn Battuta, the sheik of travelers. He is one of the greatest Muslim explorers in history. He visited many regions in more than 40 countries across the three continents of the ancient world, covering more than 120,000 kilometers during his travels.

Moroccan greats: Ibn Battuta, the sheik of travelers

Moroccan greats: Ibn Battuta, the sheik of travelers

Ibn Battuta is a Muslim traveler, and his name is Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Yusuf al-Lu’ai al-Tanji, nicknamed Abu Abdullah. He is considered one of the most famous Muslim travelers, and because of the long period he spent traveling, which was twenty-eight years, he was called (Sheikh Traveller), as he was distinguished by his love of exploration, and his unafraid to overcome difficulties to obtain news. He was also interested in talking about the social situation and news of the countries he visited, in addition to his activity and ability to absorb news.

The upbringing of Ibn Battuta

In the year 703 AH, or 1304 AD, Ibn Battuta was born in the Moroccan city of Tangier. He is from an ancient family whose members held positions in the judiciary. He belongs to the Berber Luata tribe spread on the African coast to Egypt. He headed to study the Islamic sciences in Morocco, following the doctrine Al-Maliki, like the rest of his family members, excelled in this field, but he did not complete his studies. This is because of his desire to travel at a young age, and one of the most important reasons that prompted him to travel was his desire to perform the Hajj, in addition to his passion for acquiring new knowledge.

The beginning of travel

Ibn Battuta went on his first journey when he was 21 years old, and the donkey was the first means of transportation he used, as he began his journey heading to Mecca. To perform the Hajj pilgrimage, knowing that he was alone, with no one accompanying him, as he narrates in his book, and his father was alive when he left home wanting to explore. He described his departure from his family home as birds leaving their nests, and despite his sadness at the separation of his beloved family members, His father's grief was the thing that affected him most at that moment.

Travel map

Ibn Battuta's travels continued for nearly thirty years and included the entire Islamic world and beyond. They were from North and West Africa to Southern and Eastern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Eastern China.

Journey 725 AH / 1326 AD

Ibn Battuta began his journey from the city of Tangier, then traveled through all the countries of the Maghreb, then headed towards the east, where he visited Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt, and passed through Alexandria, Cairo, and Upper Egypt, arriving at the port of Aydhab, located on the coast of the Red Sea, and after that He returned to Cairo; To continue his journey, heading to Mecca, taking the Levant route, and after performing the Hajj rituals, he continued his journey to Iraq, Iran, and Anatolia, then decided to return to perform the Hajj again, he returned to Mecca via Hijaz and stayed there for two years.

Journey 730 AH / 1329 AD

Ibn Battuta headed to Yemen and the countries of the Arabian Gulf and went from there to Bahrain and Al-Ahsa. In each visit to a specific country, he talked about the customs, traditions, and cuisine of that country. Ibn Battuta also visited the lands of the Romans, and after completing his tour there, he returned to Mecca; To perform the Hajj for the third time, he headed to Syria, via the Red Sea, passing through Latakia, then he rode the sea going to Asia Minor, crossing the port of Alaia and the port of Sinop, located on the Black Sea, and arriving at the Crimean Peninsula, and continued his travels until he arrived. In Eastern Russia, he also visited Constantinople and then returned to Crimea. From there he went to Bukhara and Afghanistan and ended up settling in Delhi for two years, where he worked as a judge for the Maliki school of thought.

Journey 748 AH / 1347 AD

Ibn Battuta continued his travels until he reached East India and Indonesia. He also visited China, and then returned to the Arabian Peninsula via India and Sumatra in the year 748 AH, corresponding to 1347 AD. He continued to travel, as he returned to Persia, then to Iraq and the Levant. , Egypt, and finally reached Mecca. To perform the Hajj pilgrimage for the fourth time, he decided to return to Al-Aqsa Morocco in the year 750 AH, which corresponds to 1349 AD, and he stayed there for a full year. However, he soon returned to traveling to make his trip to Granada in Andalusia in the year 751 AH, which corresponds to 1350 AD, and then he returned. He went to the city of Fez in Morocco, and prepared himself for a trip to West Africa in the year 754 AH, corresponding to 1353 AD, so he visited Timbuktu and Hakar, then returned to Morocco, and remained there until he died - may God have mercy on him.

The value of Ibn Battuta in Arab and Western history

Ibn Battuta is considered a tourist of Islam, and the distance of his travels was estimated at approximately 75,000 miles, which is equivalent to 120,000 km. He visited all Islamic countries and several neighboring non-Islamic lands. His travels were of historical and geographical value, and he met with no less than 60 rulers and many ministers, and distinguished and important figures.

Tuhfat al-Nazar fi Oddities of Lands and Wonders of Travel

The book he wrote, known as (The Journey of Ibn Battuta), and called (Tuhfat al-Nozar fi Gharaib Al Amsar Wa Ajaib Al Asfar), is considered an important document, in which he recorded everything he gained from his travels, as this book was considered a document that focused on many historical, cultural, and social aspects. , and politics of the Islamic world, and Ibn Battuta’s writings about the Maldives, India, East and West Africa, and Asia Minor constituted an important source for the history of these countries.

Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo

In Western comparisons between Ibn Battuta’s travels to the Islamic world and Marco Polo’s travels, they found that Ibn Battuta was an intellectual, a scholar, a socialite, and a man of high class, and his travels were within the framework of familiar Islamic culture, where he met many people and learned from them, while Polo was a merchant and an uneducated. He traveled to strange and unfamiliar countries and benefited from his travel by learning new ways of dressing, speaking, and behaving as well. In addition, Ibn Battuta was interested in talking about himself, the people he met, and the positions he held, while Marco Polo focused on talking about accurate information about what he observed during his travels.