The First And Greatest Islamic Travel Writer
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The First and Greatest Islamic Travel Writer
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The First and Greatest Islamic Travel WriterSummary
Early in the fourteenth century, a wave of exploration was spreading. In 1336, Italian scholar Petrarch penned Europe's first travel account about a simple climb up Mount Ventoux. He mocked his friends who wouldn’t join him, unknowingly igniting a rich tradition of European travel writing. Meanwhile, Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta, the first?"and arguably greatest?"Islamic traveler, was embarking on a remarkable 29-year journey that would establish him as a legendary chronicler, spreading the message of Islam across continents.
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The fourteenth century marked the birth of significant travel writing in Europe with Petrarch’s modest ascent of Mount Ventoux in 1336. However, the Islamic world was witnessing an even more extraordinary journey. Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta, an Islamic scholar and adventurer, embarked on a 29-year expedition, covering vast territories and earning recognition as one of history's most remarkable travel writers.
Contemporary historian and author Tim Mackintosh-Smith played a significant role in bringing Ibn Battuta’s legacy to the West with his 2001 book, Travels with a Tangerine: A Journey in the Footnotes of Ibn Battuta. Published by John Murray, London, the book retraces the initial segment of Ibn Battuta’s journey?"from Tangier to Constantinople. Ibn Battuta traveled three times further than Marco Polo, exploring a world largely unfamiliar to Western readers, including North Africa and the Near East. Mackintosh-Smith’s work significantly broadened awareness of Ibn Battuta's adventures.
Born in 1304, Ibn Battuta was a Berber Sunni Islamic scholar from the Maliki Madhhab, a school of Sunni law. Despite scant information about his life, mostly self-reported, his travel accounts remain invaluable. Over nearly three decades, he traversed approximately 73,000 miles (117,000 km), journeying through the Islamic world and beyond?"North and West Africa, Southern and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Central and Southeast Asia, and China.
Encouraged by Abu Inan Faris, the Sultan of Morocco, Ibn Battuta recounted his travels to scholar Ibn Juzayy in Granada, the heart of Islamic Spain. This collaboration produced the Rihla (Journey), officially titled A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Traveling. While some parts are considered fictional, the Rihla provides a comprehensive account of the 14th-century world. Though initially unknown, it was rediscovered in 1800 and translated into several European languages.
Despite numerous challenges, Ibn Battuta survived his extensive travels unscathed. He passed away in Morocco over the age of 60, eventually succumbing to the Black Plague, the same disease that claimed his mother’s life. His legacy as a pioneering travel writer endures, capturing the imagination of those who explore the wonders of our world.
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