The Journey Of Ibn Battuta

Traveling for a period of nearly thirty years, Ibn Battuta, an Islamic scholar, traveled from North Africa to West Africa, Southern and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Born in Morocco Battuta was a Muslim by religion and spoke Arabic, which allowed him to travel freely; supported by generous gifts from rulers met during his excursions. Documenting his journey by describing the people, places, and cultures he encountered, Battuta’s first hand accounts allow greater understanding of the fourteenth century Islamic world. Ibn Battuta’s account of his travels in sub-Saharan Africa tell us that the connections that linked sub-Saharan Africa to other parts of the world in the fourteenth century were dominated by religion and trade due to …show more content…
Battuta’s religion and language permitted him access to food and lodgings wherever he traveled. During his visit to East Africa, Battuta resided near the Sultan of Maqdashaw, “…we came to that house which is near the [sultan’s] house. And it was bedded out and set up with what is necessary.” Upon arrival in Maqdashaw, Battuta was identified as a faqih; a type of scholar, and was promptly taken to the scholar’s house for dining and as a residence during his stay. Battuta was well received during his stay stating, “we stayed three days and food was brought to us thrice a day for that is their custom.” Battuta was given the hospitality of strangers due to his status as a scholar and a shared religion and language that provided mutual understanding of cultures and interests. …show more content…
On his journey to Malli Battuta arrived in Taghaza, a salt mining area where even the houses and mosques were constructed of salt. Battuta described Taghaza as “nobody [living] in it except slaves of the Massufa who dig for the salt and live on dates brought to them from Dar’a and Sijilmasa, and on the meat of camels, and on anli which is brought from the land of the blacks.” Mining salt was so profitable that nothing else was grown or produced in the area; all efforts were concentrated in mining salt. Items were largely imported in order to sustain the slaves who worked in the salt mines. Salt was very valuable and sold for high prices varying by area, “a camel load of it is sold in Iwalatan for from eight to ten mithqals, and in the town of Malli for twenty to thirty mithqals, perhaps the price reaches up to forty.” One mithqal was approximately four and a half grams of gold. Salt sold for higher prices in larger cities and lower prices in smaller cities. Salt was so valuable that it was even used as a form of currency, “the blacks exchange the salt as money as one would exchange gold and silver. They cut it up and trade with it in pieces.” Salt was valuable enough to be used as currency over gold and silver in certain