Tomb of Ibn Battuta, Tangier, Morocco. December 2019
One of my heroes
[from: Encylopedia Britannica]
In Egypt, where he arrived by the land route via Tunis and Tripoli, an irresistible passion for travel was born in his soul, and he decided to visit as many parts of the world as possible, setting as a rule “never to travel any road a second time.” His contemporaries traveled for practical reasons (such as trade, pilgrimage, and education), but Ibn Battuta did it for its own sake, for the joy of learning about new countries and new peoples. He made a living of it, benefitting at the beginning from his scholarly status and later from his increasing fame as a traveler. He enjoyed the generosity and benevolence of numerous sultans, rulers, governors, and high dignitaries in the countries he visited, thus securing an income that enabled him to continue his wanderings.
In Saudi Arabia, after learning of my travels, my students and friends started to call me "Ibn Battuta". I had never heard of the guy, so I did some research. It turns out he was the single most well-traveled person in the pre-modern era beating both Marco Polo of Venice and Zheng He of China (both legendary) by factors of four and two respectively. He literally left everyone else in the dust. So accurate were some of his accounts that they have become historical fact and a resource about certain countries during the 14th century. From his beginnings as a young Islamic scholar and judge in Morocco, he spun that background into a fabulous life and career.
"Ibn Battuta (traveled) for its own sake, for the joy of learning about new countries and new peoples." Everything I read about the guy I liked. He settled in places a few years, learned a lot, blended with the locals and then tired of it and moved along. I think he might have been one of the first to do "participant-observer" research and record his findings. What amazes me is that the West literally ignores the guy. Had I never worked in Saudi Arabia and Iraq I never would have heard of him. So fascinating was his life and his "adventures" I think a biographical movie or mini-series would be a smash hit - he visited fantastic realms, befriended kings, was nearly put to death, fought in wars, and survived a shipwreck - among other things. His life was definitely the stuff of legend, and much of it has been corroborated by reliable secondary sources. The man not only existed, but most of his book, Al Rihla (the Travels), is true.
On my visit to Morocco, it didn't even cross my mind that I was going to be on his home turf (where he actually spent little time). How amazing was it then to be wandering in the old city of Tangier and see a small sign pointing to his tomb!? At the intersection of two blue alleyways amidst some houses, the simplicity of his tomb understated his life accomplishments. Nonetheless, I was happy to find it and take a selfie. Somehow he must be an ancestor, I am sure of it.
Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Lawātī al-Ṭanjī ibn Baṭṭūṭah (what a full name!) I would have loved to have a drink with you!
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