IBN BATTUTA

The life of a legendary explorer

By Lina Fitzroy and Liza Mann
 Early Life
● Ibn Battuta was born to a family of Islamic legal scholars in
Tangier on February 24th, 1304. He and his family belonged to
a Berber tribe called the Lawata.

● He most likely studied at Sunni Maliki madh’hab, which was an

Islamic jurisprudence school. It was also the dominant form of
education in North Africa at that time.

● It’s theorized that the name “Ibn Battuta” is simply a

nickname, directly meaning “Son of Battuta.” Commonly, his
“full name” is thought to be Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn
Battuta. Some texts put his name as even longer.
 Tales of Travel
● At 21, Battuta set out on a Hajj to go to Mecca; a
hajj is a traditional Islamic pilgrimage that is
mandatory for adults to go to the holy land at
least once in their lives.

● Battuta traveled to Mecca across the North

African coast. Afterwards, he traveled all across
Afro-Eurasia over the course of 24 years. His
Hajj was originally supposed to take 16 months.

● Some countries he visited during his travels were

Egypt, Iraq, Iran, China, India, Spain, and Mali.
That’s barely scratching the surface!
 Effects of His Influence
● Ibn Battuta wrote travel logs during
his journey, called A Gift to Those
Who Contemplate the Wonders of
Cities and the Marvels of Traveling,
better known as the Rihla.

● His extensive writings give historians

a better understanding of life
throughout his travels, around 1325
to 1352.

● Battuta focused on people, places,

and cultures.