The Journeys of Ibn Battuta

A half century after Marco Polo's journey, a Muslim scholar little known here in the west traveled more than four times as far. Like Marco Polo, the record of his journey provides in some cases the only remaining written account of exotic places and people.
This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Non censuram.
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Script by JCG
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[@eliscanfield3913]

I'm surprised you hadn't gotten to Ibn Battuta until now. Dude was pretty remarkable and his travelog is an important (if not always reliable) source for a lot of places' history. Extra Credits often references him, because his almost as ubiquitous in some places as pirates

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

I suspect "reliable" was not a word he was familiar with, I mean, why let the Truth interfere with a good tale????

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

I suspect Reliable was not a word in his lexicon, but then, why let the Ruth interfere with a Good Tale?

[@medic7698]

@@Cheeseatingjunglista I've never known Ruth interfere with anyone's tale. She's a good girl, she is.

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

@@medic7698 Touche!!

[@JAGzilla-ur3lh]

Impressive story. I'd be all for more videos like this covering Muslim history. There's so much knowledge, so many interesting people, events, and places, that we in the West just don't regularly hear about.

[@stayinggolden2665]

How about child brides? Should we know more about that too? I think we should, let us know. You seem like a muslim, please do inform us all about child wives taken by muslims!

[@medic7698]

Can I recommend the podcast Empire. They're doing the history of the Ottoman empire. Interesting stuff.

[@medic7698]

@@stayinggolden2665 I'm not a Muslim and whilst I realise that they have their flaws, so do we in the west. Look to the USA, for instance, if you want to talk about child brides.

[@ElValuador]

Yes, let’s learn about conversion by the sword and the thousands of slave raids that made the transatlantic slave trade look benign by comparison.

[@medic7698]

@@ElValuador as I said, we all have our flaws.

[@Yoyozworld19]

One of our many Moroccan heroes 🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦

[@jaykaramales3087]

When I was a starry-eyed but destitute 24-year-old with dreams of traveling the world back in 1986, I came across "A Book of Travellers' Tales" by Eric Newby, which I devoured--with confidence that I would some day equal the exploits of most of the people in that book... except for Ibn Batutta, whom Newby described as the most travelled person in history. I have been fascinated by him ever since, though as you say he is scarcely known in the West today. This video brought all those aspirations back to life. Thanks for making this one!

[@cowboykelly6590]

That's Cool . What a neat feeling, and Memories . 🤠🖖 ♨️

[@thereallostwalker8337]

I’m the same way :) I’ve never heard of this guy until yesterday and I’ve been to a few places already that he’s been to, like China, India, Egypt, and Jordan. Now I’m inspired to go see Morocco, Spain, and Israel for my next travels. From one travel dreamer to another, cheers :)

[@KILLER.KNIGHT]

@@thereallostwalker8337Curse israhell!!

[@MrJimthomjr]

Thanks for this, and all of your interesting stories. Watching this episode of Ibn Battuta reminded me of another little-known journey that predated, and was overshadowed by, a more famous one. Have you heard of the travels of Moncacht-Apé? A native-American of the Yazoo (or Yasou) tribe located in present-day Mississippi, he traveled across most of the North American continent, from Niagra Falls and the Atlantic to the Great Divide and the Pacific in the late 1600's or early 1700's. Skilled in many languages, he apparently encountered French explorer Antoine-Simon Le Page du Pratz in the Louisiana Colony in the 1720's, and told him stories of his many adventures, which Le Page later published. A copy of Moncacht-Apé's journey up the Missouri River was among the guidebooks used by Lewis and Clark many years later. It's a credible account of incredible journeys, and it's history that deserves to be remembered.

[@patpatterson12]

I never understood the reasons that some sea travel was seasonal, until I read "An Oblique Approach" by David Drake and Eric Flint. It's an alternative history, using the real-life exploits of Byzantine Emperor Justinian's general Belisarius, to provide a framework for the story. In discussing the reasons an expedition can't go directly to India, Belisarius says: "The monsoon winds blow one way part of the year, the other way during the other part. You travel from India to the west from November through April. You go the other way-my way, that is-from July through October." (David Drake; Eric Flint. Belisarius I Thunder at Dawn (Kindle Locations 2606-2608). Baen Books) So, timing was absolutely a critical factor when planning a voyage.

[@Gihad97]

Excellent Video. As a Muslim, It's nice to see a video of one of our heroes in history. Thank you.

[@shirazadaonizuka6980]

Ibn Battuta is a Moroccan Muslim born in Tangier.

[@RetiredSailor60]

Good morning from Ft Worth TX to everyone watching.

[@con1676]

Good evening From Nanjing, China.

[@martinstiastny7679]

Good morning to you too.

[@RetiredSailor60]

@@con1676 I visited Hong Kong and Kowloon in 1986...

[@stuartriefe1740]

@William Sanders Always a pleasure sharing greetings with a fellow History lover. Greetings from CT!

[@negativeindustrial]

I’m in FW, too, but good morning anyway.

[@typacsk]

Ross Dunn's "Adventures of Ibn Battuta" was part of the required reading in my AP World History class -- he based it closely on the original account in the Rihla, but added a bunch of context for modern/Western readers, and some commentary on the reliability of certain segments of the narrative. It's definitely worth a look, for anyone who wants to know more about this guy, or the time period he lived in :)

[@nitrogasm]

I wait for it in every episode, because doesn't every good story involve pirates? Thank you Lance, for making my day.

[@raymondevans205]

I have read about the wandering Judge before and was under the impression it should be taken with a grain of salt the size of the national debt. As always you give the better, to the point story of it. Thank you . .

[@Aramis419]

Years ago, I studied Ibn Battuta while I was in college. I forgot how expensive the Hans Wehr Arabic dictionary was, at the time, but it’s value is priceless.

[@keithtorgersen9664]

Thanks for covering this. I was hoping you would, recently KZbin had randomly uploaded clips from the fictionalized version of his travels with Vikings, made into a novel by Michael Crichton “Eaters of the Dead” or the film version known as “The 13th Warrior”, which takes even more liberties from the source material.

[@joshgeiger9090]

Actually eaters of the dead and 13th warrior are based on a different guy, Ahmad ibn Fadlan.

[@KILLER.KNIGHT]

@@joshgeiger9090Hey I’ve heard of him.

[@Banditt42]

There are so many stories, so many journeys lost to history. Never to be remembered again.

[@wongo1665]

1638 or 39??? Pretty sure you meant 1368 or 69, otherwise he'd be a LOT more famous as the man who lived over 330 years 😂

[@BlueBaron3339]

I see someone referenced the 13th Warrior in the comments. Whereas Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battuta's journey was a case of something akin to fantasy made semi-authoritative, the far earlier 10th century work, Mission to the Volga by Ahmad ibn Fadlan was a case of a scholarly work inspiring fantasy. Michael Crichton took it, mixed with Beowulf, wrote Eaters of the Dead which became the movie The 13th Warrior 😉 Great movie!

[@tomalexander4327]

Around the world in 80 judicial appointments.

[@philpaine3068]

When I was in the first years of high school, in Canada, I became interested in West African history, and of course I soon learned about Ibn Battuta. His adventures fascinated me, and he became something of hero for me. While some parts of the Rihla may have been altered, the works have none of the absurd confabulations that are characteristic of fraudulent travel books of the Middle Ages. I was struck by his relatively objective attitudes for the time. Eventually, I became something of a wanderer myself, and even made it to Tombouctou (Timbuktu). When I was there, it was obvious to me that his account of at least that last journey was definitely true. While it may be a bit odd that a Canadian school boy would choose a medieval muslim qadi as a role model, that was definitely the case for me.

[@afrobian1]

this is so awesome. Im Canadian Moroccan myself and i feel like everyone should embrace your spirit. I have been to Tangier twice but keep forgetting to visit his shrine

[@philpaine3068]

@@afrobian1 By making the difficult journey to Canada, adapting to a new and very different country, you can count yourself as one of the spiritual children of Ibn Battuta. Our country has been made strong by building itself on this adventurous spirit, going all the way back to the Siberian hunters who followed big game as the great ice sheet melted to make a home in our vast land. You may have arrived by airplane, instead of ships and caravans, but it required the same sort of courage and imagination. My ancestors may have arrived in Canada 12,000 years ago, but I will ALWAYS count you as a brother, as family. السلام عليكم

[@Thermodynamicool]

The history of the word "Okay", then abbreviated to "OK" by the 1800's linguistic fashion trend, is history that deserves to be remembered.

[@MBMCincy63]

I am so glad I discovered your channel 😊, I have been following for nearly 2 months now, and watching older videos that Intrest me. Thank you ☺️.

[@goodun2974]

THG might want to follow this up with the North American wanderings of Cabeza de Vaca and the Narvaez expedition that began with a Florida shipwreck in 1528, journeyed through to Texas and Northern Mexico, where members were enslaved, and finally escaping and winding up on the Pacific coast. Well documented in the book "A Land So Strange".

[@lancerevell5979]

Another excellent story is the life of English sea captain Sir George Somers, who in the early 1600s was involved in the Jamestown settlement, and was shipwrecked on Bermuda, founding the first English settlement there. And he is a distant relative of mine.

[@mauricedavis2160]

Sounds fascinating!!!🙏🦉❣️

[@tonyk1584]

This journey sounds a lot like a Viking cruise recently to Australia and New Zealand. Lots of sailing around missing places your were supposed to see and seeing places you weren't.

[@lancerevell5979]

Sounds like my deployment on my Navy ship in 1983. We missed a lot of scheduled port visits as we kept having to replace other vessels when they couldn't meet their obligations. We okly made three actual scheduled port visits..... Haifa, Israel, The Maldives, and Mombasa, Kenya.

[@mgarretter1]

I just recently learned of this man. Thanks for this episode.

[@rachidmoro7october]

Ibnbatuta is the greatest travler of all times he travel ed the whole of old world before explore of americans. Im proud of him as a moroccan he is famous in my country there is alidirisi like ibnbatuta he travel alot

[@mauricedavis2160]

Thank you THG and Crew, I knew there was more history out there, and Pirates!!!🙏👌🦉❣️

[@RetiredSailor60]

I traveled to 37 countries around the world during my 21 year Naval career.

[@rabbi120348]

"Join the Navy and see the world." I once had an ice scraper in my car that said, "Join the Navy, visit tropical ports!"

[@RetiredSailor60]

@@rabbi120348 I visited a few tropical ports. Mostly Mediterranean and Southeast Asia ports along with all of South America

[@lancerevell5979]

@@rabbi120348 Yep, after spending my first hitch in the Airforce 115 miles from home, when I reupped I went Navy, as I wanted to travel. Oh joy, did I travel! Loved it. Wish I'd stayed in.

[@BasicDrumming]

I appreciate you, thank you for making content.

[@MatteBlacke]

What an amazing adventure! How would an adventurer like this procure food for himself along all his long journeys?

[@con1676]

I advice you to see Extra History videos on him. They covered almost all his journey.

[@DgurlSunshine]

SELLING INFORMATION

[@con1676]

@@DgurlSunshine pretty much

[@bassomatic1871]

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you. I've been hoping for you to do a video on Ibn Battuta. What an amazing traveler. Still hoping for you to do one on Juan Pujol Garcia.

[@gyrene_asea4133]

Agree that Ibn Battuta's story needs to be told, thanks THG. btw., @13:49 you mis-state the presumed date of his passing as 'sixteen thirty-eight or nine'. I suspect you meant 'thirteen ...'

[@shawnr771]

Thank you for the lesson.

[@emmahardesty4330]

Thank you, yet again. You're definitely making life richer, and possibly smarter.

[@Sailor376also]

Thank you for this. I feel it is an exceptional story to be told.

[@podaly]

Bought his book because of this. Fantastic!

[@GregMcCoy]

The internet was created for The History Guy.

[@tsbrownie]

It would be interesting to know how much could be verified by other sources, for example court records from the Chinese.

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Back in the Saddle Again Naturally

[@heckell4181]

Always excellent videos.

[@bretnielsen5502]

EXCELLENT as always.

[@christopherrasmussen8718]

To be remembered for all time is amazing. I’ll be a dot in time if that. I’ve been to a very few of his destinations.

[@kimgadoury4245]

I'd love to see a "History" of the History Guy!! I thank you for your Ibn Battuta as well. I've seen several documentaries and read one of the books detailing his travels some years ago; Absolutely Fascinating guy!! :)

[@dougalexander7204]

Thank you. Only in a dream could a person imagine the sites and people he met.

[@theeddorian]

Another traveler from the Muslim world that should be remembered is ibn Fadlan. I hope you will consider doing a section on his travels. They aren't as extensive as ibn Battuta's, but again, are well worth remembering I think.

[@SSRT_JubyDuby8742]

Love this fellas story and this was a lovely telling, GG 👏😁 Like deployed 👍

[@mercster]

Thanks buddy!

[@bforman1300]

Islamic scholars of that time were trained in memorization skills so it isn't surprising he was able to present a written account of his travels (and possibly other people's travel accounts) from memory. It is a great loss that I didn't hear of this before I stopped teaching.

[@shirazadaonizuka6980]

they are still there in Morocco this technique has never been lost

[@MondoProducer]

Mind boggling how he did what he did across languages and cultures. He had some magical charm.....By the way, Ibn Battuta simply means son of Battuta!

[@martiniv8924]

Great history, funnily I first heard about Ibn Battuta when they named a shopping mall after him in Dubai, that piqued my interest, and read what I could, thanks for the video👌🏻😎

[@MondoProducer]

Are you still in Dubai?

[@BenjySparky]

THG you rock! Peace

[@-jeff-]

Thank THG for highlighting this early world traveler.

[@cowboykelly6590]

Just Top Notch Sir. Much Respect. 🤠🖖 ♨️

[@k.c1126]

This would make a great movie.... 🤗

[@MarshOakDojoTimPruitt]

thanks

[@jb-vb8un]

this tale has the fluting tones via THE WORLD OF COMMANDER McBRAGG combinf with BULLWINKLE's MR, KNOW-IT-ALL .... Great stuff, Sir

[@Mrfrontrow]

Absolutely fascinating!!! Even if only half of the story is true he was an epic traveler indeed!!!!

[@QuantumPyrite_88.9]

It's amusing how many artists' renditions there are of what Battuta looked like .

[@Wraith-Knight]

some one should do a tv series about this guys adventures

[@BodyTrust]

What an amazing fellow.

[@williamromine5715]

I guess there must be something other than his "narration" of his travels to support his travels. Otherwise, his tale is pretty hard to swallow. He tells a good story, or at least the scribe who wrote it all down did. But, like you always say, don't all good stories involve pirates.

[@noelmcgarry456]

Very interesting, gift of communication allowed him to prosper and survive.

[@edlabonte7773]

Wow, died in 1639. That would have made him 335 years old.

[@eddiegold7856]

I like this guy.alot.

[@MagdaleneDivine]

I like the intro

[@korbell1089]

Lance, I think you transposed the 3 and the 6 here. 13:45 If not then I too want to live for 300 years.😁😁 edit to correct my math because I forgot to take my shoes off.😋

[@themanfromnam8446]

Very impressive. This world is full of interesting characters. I wonder how he was as a man?

[@kenlodge3399]

One of the best ever

[@jliller]

Darn, Tutan'!

[@seanwiley558]

Correct me if I am wrong, it looks like he traveled before the continent separated to what we know today. Very interesting!

[@dddpvt]

Born 1304, and died in !638 or 39? Wonder where he found the fountain of Youth?!!

[@adriennegormley9358]

I knew that ibn Batutta traveled extensively, but if the record is true, he traveled mire than is heard of previously. Side note: the "ibn" in "ibn Batutta" means "son of"; it's the Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew "Ben". So by reducing his name to Batutta, you were actually calling him by his father's name.... otherwise, very enjoyable vid.

[@georgeclark7208]

It's better than son of a B.....🙃

[@curtisthomas2670]

The "don" in names like Jackson was originally based on the same principle

[@mikenixon2401]

I truly enjoy supportive data from sources not comonly known. As much as has been found during the past five decades I truly feel YAWH and Messiah are trying to tell us something.

[@clintballard521]

I still wanna see a video about the Flood of ‘37. How high’s the water Mama? 😁

[@Paladin1873]

Some of the best stories I've ever read were complete B.S.

[@daverossiter717]

Hey Lance, in Batuta’s travels why does your map depict Sri Lanka as connected to south India? Is this in reference to a distant topographical anomaly, perhaps and isthmus, which doesn’t exist today?

[@curtisthomas2670]

Up to the late 1400s there was a land bridge, now submerged, as shallow as a couple feet in some places. Indian legends say it was a man made bridge built by the god Rama? iirc

[@nealrcn]

In refence to Battura;s memory. I I was born in Suffolk England moved to Alabama moved to Brendasea Italy move to Suffolk England moved to Edinburgh Scotland moved to Crete Greece moved to San Antonio TX moved to Crete Greece move to Pensacola Florida moved to Baltimore Maryland move to Harrogate North Yorkshire moved to Kuwait moved to Bitburg Germany moved to Harrogate UK moved to Oxford North Carolina moved to Palm Coast Florida. I have visit every continental Stated and 30 other countries. I have visit over 200 cities and passed through a couple thousand.

[@daveauld1790]

Don't like commercials that's why I pay for no commercials but as history repeats if there's a crack. Still your history shows are well done. Should be required viewing for people especially the kids ..Although I write instead of printing, I've translated in a secret code to my son. I am I the history? At the ROM museum last time the class was asked to point to the oldest living fossil in the room. They all pointed at me. I flunked them all on that question showing them how history repeats if not remembered and to start with their first lesson... Dictadership.

[@Philo_Tube]

❤❤❤

[@jeffbangkok]

Good morning

[@TM-ev2tc]

You should try and make a video about Hedy lamarr.

[@Pygar2]

That's Hedly!

[@TM-ev2tc]

@@Pygar2 thanks I am not sure. I am just going by my Google search.

[@Pygar2]

@@TM-ev2tc The bad guy in "Blazing Saddles" (watch it, trust me!) was called Hedly LaMarr. The real Hedy LaMarr sued Mel Brooks, successfully I think. She had quite an effect on modern tech, didn't she?

[@TM-ev2tc]

@@Pygar2 She was an actress, and she died in 2000 I think. I think she had something to do with the invention of WIFI I think. I don't know a lot about her.

[@lancerevell5979]

She worked on a superior torpedo guidance system the US Navy wouldn't develop because they thought a young woman simply couldn't be that smart. She was.

[@googiegress7459]

Being well-traveled also means the experiences had moving throughout those areas. If someone today spent half a year flying between all these cities, staying in a hotel booked online, they could not possibly be considered to have traveled as much as Ibn Battuta. He approached the city through its farmland, its villages, passed under the gates of its wall. He argued with the police, and smelled the dung, and drank the water from the earth, and met with kings. With the modern lack of a culture of hospitality, I wonder if such a journey is possible any longer.

[@moroccoisback477]

Ibn Battuta, Al Idrisi, Hassan Al Wazzan and many travellers are a long Moroccan tradition of travellers under the protection of Sultan of Morocco.

[@dannyschaible7112]

What a great story. Not totally believable, but entertaining nonetheless.

[@capnstewy55]

Pirates in India stole my homework!

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Hey History Guy, 🤓👋 how was your weekend?I am going to send you a special video with an opportunity that you cannot refuse. I think that you have been waiting your whole life for this moment!

[@DugrozReports]

I remember learning of him in Jr. High or High School - though I thought it was pronounced "EYE-buhn," I likely remember wrong. All I recall learning is that he was a "great African explorer." Any chance his entire story is made up? Or are there corroborating works?

[@Mercmad]

Another Moroccan wandering the world.

[@rachidmoro7october]

Talk about sale the kingdom of pirates in morocco 😊

[@pamelamays4186]

It took nearly eleven minutes for the part about pirates.

[@trunkage]

Side Quest!

[@denisecorzette1676]

🖐

[@KAZVorpal]

I've carefully replayed the date you say he died, and it sounds to me like you say 1638/9,which would mean he was 365 years old...

[@DrivermanO]

AT 13.50, what year did you say he died? I think I heard 1638 or 9, but presume it must be 1368 or 9!

[@yosephyisrael37]

History about the St.Bernard?

[@labilarbi5090]

We need a Ibn battuta university in Tangier

[@cameltanker1286]

If you ever get a chance, you should visit the Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, UAE.

[@TheLoachman]

I wandered around it for a few hours in 2009, but not to buy anything.

[@jeffbarnard3050]

Always good Ibn Battuta!!!

[@medic7698]

Evliya Çelebi is even more interesting.

[@jorgecruzseda7551]

Kifallah!!!

[@bigsarge2085]

✌️

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

This gentleman is the inventor and namesake for an arthritis cream care. Its called Ibn Gay !🤣 Hahaha

[@samizaki1356]

🇲🇦❤🇲🇦☝️....🖐de andalouse 🇪🇸