The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: A Muslim Traveler of the Fourteenth Century

376 Pages·2004·3.98 MB·English

by  Ross E. Dunn

The Adventures of Ibn Battuta

The Adventures of Ibn Battuta
A Muslim Traveler of the 14th Century
UPDATED WITH A 2012 PREFACE
ROSS E. DUNN
Ibn Battuta Street in Tangier.
The sign is in French, Spanish, and Arabic.
Photo by the Author.
University of California Press
Berkeley and Los Angeles, California
© 1986, 2005, 2012 by Ross E. Dunn
First Paperback Printing 1989
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Dunn, Ross E.
The adventures of Ibn Battuta, a Muslim traveler of the fourteenth century / Ross Dunn.—Rev. ed. with a
new pref.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index (p. ).
ISBN 978-0-520-27292-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Ibn Batuta, 1304-1377. 2. Travelers—Islamic Empire—
Biography. 3. Travel, Medieval. I. Title.
G93.I24D86 2005
910′.917′67—dc22
2004005791
Printed in the United States of America
20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
In keeping with a commitment to support environmentally responsible and sustainable printing practices,
UC Press has printed this book on Rolland Enviro 100, a 100% post-consumer fiber paper that is FSC
certified, deinked, processed chlorine-free, and manufactured with renewable biogas energy. It is acid-free
and EcoLogo certified.
For Jordan and Jocelyn
And to the Memory of C. F. Beckingham
I met in [Brusa] the pious shaykh ’Abdallah al-Misri, the traveler, and
a man of saintly life. He journeyed through the earth, but he never
went into China nor the island of Ceylon, nor the Maghrib, nor al-
Andalus, nor the Negrolands, so that I have outdone him by visiting
these regions.
Ibn Battuta
Contents
List of Maps
Preface to the 2012 Edition
Preface to the Revised Edition
Preface to the First Edition
Acknowledgments
The Muslim Calendar
A Note on Money
List of Abbreviations Used in Notes
Introduction
1. Tangier
2. The Maghrib
3. The Mamluks
4. Mecca
5. Persia and Iraq
6. The Arabian Sea
7. Anatolia
8. The Steppe
9. Delhi
10. Malabar and the Maldives
11. China
12. Home
13. Mali
14. The Rihla
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
Maps
1. Cities of Eurasia and Africa in the Fourteenth Century
2. Region of the Strait of Gibraltar
3. Ibn Battuta’s Itinerary in Northern Africa, 1325–26
4. Ibn Battuta’s Itinerary in Egypt, Syria and Arabia, 1325–26
5. Ibn Battuta’s Itinerary in Persia and Iraq, 1326–27
6. Ibn Battuta’s Itinerary in Arabia and East Africa, 1328–30 (1330–32)
7. Ibn Battuta’s Itinerary in Anatolia and the Black Sea Region, 1330–32
(1332–34)
8. Ibn Battuta’s Itinerary in Central Asia and Afghanistan, 1332–33 (1334–35)
9. Ibn Battuta’s Itinerary in India, Ceylon and the Maldive Islands, 1333–45
10. Ibn Battuta’s Itinerary in Southeast Asia and China, 1345–46
11. Ibn Battuta’s Return Itinerary from China to North Africa, 1346–49
12. Ibn Battuta’s Itinerary in North Africa, Spain and West Africa, 1349–54