Article:
ISSUE No. 10 May - June 2008

Ibn Battuta’s Journey to the Ends of the Earth
The Arab Globetrotter of the 14th Century

The 14th century: nearly a third of the European population dies of the plague. The Hundred Years’ War breaks out between England and France. The Ming Dynasty reigns in China. The Ottoman Empire emerges in Asia. And 22-year-old lbn Battuta embarks on his first pilgrimage to Mecca, marking the beginning of his nearly 30 year, 120,000 kilometre journey to the corners of the world.

Traders and migrants of the 14th century exposed themselves to enormous peril and strain. In those days, journeys meant covering long distances on foot or with the help of pack animals, such as donkeys, camels, and horses. Highwaymen, hostile troops, hunger, and thirst were the pioneers’ worst enemies. On the high seas, adventurers contended with the uncertainties of storms and calms, making each journey a gamble. However, none of these dangers could discourage the young Ibn Battuta from pursuing his adventures. His wanderlust took him through Egypt, Arabia, Anatolia, Europe, India, China, and parts of Africa. The distance covered by the Arab explorer was three times longer than that of his predecessor, Marco Polo, although the chronology of Battuta’s expedition is very difficult to ascertain today, due to the fact that the records were made by Battuta himself quite some time after the journeys. Though it is difficult to determine which experiences are true and which are legend, Battuta’s book “Rihla” (the Arabic word for “journey”) provides insight to life in the 14th century and reflects the Islamic view of the world at that time. Battuta is regarded as the most famous travel author in the Arab world and his chronicles illustrate the extent of the influence the Arab occupiers of the 7th and 8th centuries had upon European development. The impulses which were given by Arab scientists and which influenced both the cultural and intellectual development of Europe are clearly recognisable.

First journey to Mecca
lbn Battuta was born in 1304 to a scholar in Tangiers, Morocco. In 1325, at the age of 21, the deeply religious Muslim set off on his first pilgrimage to Mecca. The route took him along the North African coast to Alexandria and on to Cairo. A small deviation from his chosen path brought him to the harbour town of Aidhab, situated on the Red Sea. However, insurgencies forced lbn Battuta to turn back. He returned to Cairo and resumed his journey to Damascus. En route to Syria, he visited the holy towns of Hebron, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem and upon arriving in Damascus, eventually joined a caravan that took him to Medina. From there, he continued to Mecca, his original destination.

Further to Iran and Iraq
Driven by an inner restlessness, he made the exploration of new countries his goal in life. After his first pilgrimage, he headed north into the area now known as Iran and Iraq. Protected by caravans, Battuta reached Nadjaf, south of Baghdad, visiting Basra and the mountain town of Isfahan on his expedition. According to his story, Battuta discovered a cave containing treasure, but all the riches in the world could not stop him from continuing his exploration. He continued to Shiraz, a town in what is now Iranian territory, before exploring Baghdad and the commercial city of Tebris on the Silk Road. After this long journey, he returned to Mecca. Upon reaching the holy town, he set up camp there for one year and planned his next great expedition: Africa.

Destination Africa
Whilst visiting Aden, a Yemeni coastal town, he considered settling down, knowing he would have been able to earn a fortune doing business with Indian traders. Though tempting, the young Arab decided to forego the idea and continued on his journey to Africa. Battuta visited towns in Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, as well as the island of Zanzibar. After this enormous expedition, he left Africa and sailed back to the south of the Arabian Peninsula. Still not tired of travelling, he toured Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. After these long journeys, the restless spirit decided to perform his third hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. Battuta spent the next twelve months in the holy town studying the doctrines of Islam.

Via Turkey to India
Defying the adversities of lengthy travel in the 14th century, he set off for Anatolia, once again with the benefit of a caravan, and travelled to Alanya in what is now Turkey. Battuta eventually reached Constantinople via the Crimea and various other routes at the end of 1332. He stayed in the town on the Bosporus for four weeks before continuing his journey to India. As soon as he reached the Indian border, he offered himself into the Sultan of Delhi’s services. He came at the right time: the ruler was looking to employ many Islamic scholars for the new Muslim sultanate. Because of Battuta’s long period of study in Mecca, the sultan immediately made him a judge. However, the choleric sultan made the young Arab’s life miserable. After some insurmountable difficulties with his master, Battuta seized the opportunity and travelled to China as an ambassador, setting off with his belongings and generous gifts for the Chinese king.

Stopover in the Maldives
After a series of events, Battuta was arrested as an infidel and imprisoned. He managed to escape and, after two days, was reunited with his troops, but his streak of bad luck was not over. Finally having reached the harbour town of Kandahar, the cortege boarded the big ships which were supposed to take them to China. The cargo had to be loaded onto Chinese ships in Calicut as only local sailing boats were allowed to enter Chinese waters. Unfortunately, these boats were shipwrecked on a stormy night, together with Battuta’s belongings and the gifts for the Chinese king. Battuta ended up in the Maldives as a poor man and stayed there for nine months. Working as a judge, and marrying into the Maldivian royal family made it almost impossible to continue his voyage. He became increasingly involved in local politics, and had to leave the archipelago following his decision to hand down harsh sentences that the liberal locals disagreed with. Finally on his own again, nothing seemed to stand in the way of his trip to China.

Eventually in China
After some further difficulties, Battuta finally reached the Chinese mainland. He travelled as far north as Hangzhou, near what is now Shanghai. In light of the amount of time that had elapsed and the fact that he had lost the gifts for the king, Battuta no longer dared serve the Indian sultan. He left China and made his fourth pilgrimage to Mecca. After the years of travel, the Arab explorer eventually decided to return to his hometown of Tangiers. Having escaped the horrors of the plague, Battuta reportedly made one last stop in Sardinia. However, nothing could keep him in Morocco for very long. Battuta’s new destination was Al-Andalus in Spain, which was then under Islamic rule, so he set off to defend Gibraltar from Alfonso XI of Castile.

Exploring Spain
When he reached the harbour town, Alfonso had died of the plague and Islamic Gibraltar was no longer under threat. Consequently, Battuta was able to pursue his passion for travel at leisure. Driven by curiosity, he explored the towns of Valencia and Granada, and then embarked on his journey home to Fez via Marrakech. However, Battuta’s continued wanderlust resulted in the formation of a new caravan in the autumn of 1351. This time, his destination was a town in the heart of the Sahara Desert. The voyage down the Niger eventually took him to Timbuktu when the Moroccan sultan ordered him to come home for good.

Return to Marocco
In 1353, he arrived in Morocco after many years of travelling. The deeply religious Muslim had toured almost the entire 14th century Islamic world in less than 30 years. He enjoyed the hospitality for which Arab countries are still renowned for today, as well as exceptional luck. The explorer was heralded as a hero in his country and lived for another twenty years before his death in 1377. His chronicles were lost for 500 years until their discovery in the 1800s. Still today, through his expeditions and voyages, Ibn Battuta remains one of the most prominent figures and explorers of the ancient Orient.
Today Dubai’s Ibn Battuta Mall is a contemporary monument to the 14th century traveller. The shopping centre is organised into six themed areas: China, India, Persia, Egypt, Tunisia, and Andalusia, and offers shoppers insight to lbn Battuta’s travel experiences.