The Travels of Ibn Battúta

Ibn Battúta was a geographer and traveller who spent decades roaming distant lands; these are his journeys, translated to English by celebrated scholar H.A.R. Gibb.

Travelling in the 14th century, Ibn Battúta details a variety of world cultures and regions. Originally born in Morocco, the author traversed the Middle East, Spain, Africa, and vast swathes of Asia including India, Southeast Asia and China. In doing so, he met several local rulers, to whom he described his quest to explore and record his sights. 

Some of his hosts were generous, others not so, and a few even sought to betroth Battúta. At times in danger from bandits or militaries, at times marveling at the ancient cities and cultural majesties of nations, Ibn Battúta was an adventurer and writer of supreme capacity. Darker themes however also emerge; the shocking toll of the Black Death in 1347-1351 is related in somber detail.

Modern scholars, while acknowledging Ibn Battúta’s contribution to understandings of Medieval cultures, consider some of his journeys to be exaggerated or fabricated. The differences in tone between parts of the text – at times intimately anecdotal, at times brief, detached or scholarly – are cited in support of these ideas. Despite the doubts surrounding his journeys, Battúta remains a source cited by historians and a significant figure in history.