Explorer · 1304 – 1369
Ibn Battuta
Key Takeaways
- Ibn Battuta travelled roughly 75,000 miles over about three decades.
- His journeys spanned Africa, the Middle East, India, Central Asia and China.
- He dictated his experiences in a famous travel account known as the Rihla.
- His writings are a vital source on the 14th-century Islamic world.
In an age when most people never left their birthplace, Ibn Battuta crossed a quarter of the globe. Setting out from Tangier in 1325 as a young man bound for Mecca, he kept going for nearly thirty years and some 75,000 miles.
A lifetime on the road
His travels carried him across North Africa, Arabia, East Africa, Persia, India — where he served as a judge in Delhi — the Maldives, Southeast Asia and on to China. Few people of the medieval world saw so much of it, and his journeys ranged across the lands of the Islamic Golden Age and far beyond.
The Rihla
Back in Morocco, Ibn Battuta dictated his memories in a book known as the Rihla (“The Journey”). It records rulers, scholars, marketplaces and customs from West Africa to China, including one of the earliest outside descriptions of the empire once ruled by Mansa Musa. Like Marco Polo in Europe, Ibn Battuta became the traveller against whom all others are measured.
Influence
Ibn Battuta's Rihla offers an unmatched panorama of the 14th-century Islamic world, prized by historians for its sweep and its eye for daily life.
Legacy
He is remembered as Islam's greatest traveller, his name attached to the very idea of intrepid medieval journeying.
Connections
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Ibn Battuta?
Ibn Battuta (1304–c. 1369) was a Moroccan traveller who journeyed about 75,000 miles across Africa, Asia and the Middle East and recorded it in the Rihla.
What is Ibn Battuta famous for?
He is famous as the greatest traveller of the medieval Islamic world, covering some 75,000 miles, and for his travel chronicle, the Rihla.
Citations & Sources
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