Explorer · 1304 – 1369

Ibn Battuta

Little-Known Facts

  • He set out at 21 intending only to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, then kept travelling for decades.
  • He served as a judge (qadi) in several places, including the Maldives and Delhi.

Myths & Misconceptions

Did Ibn Battuta really visit everywhere he described?

Most of his account is accepted as genuine, though scholars debate whether a few episodes were based on hearsay rather than first-hand visits.