the adventures of Ibn Battuta

The Adventures of Ibn Battuta, by Ross E. Dunn.

The travels of Ibn Battuta have often been compared to those of Marco Polo. Even though Ibn Battuta in the course of his 29-year journey visited territories equivalent to about 44 modern countries, and traveled approximately 73,000 miles, he remains barely known beyond the Islamic realm. He is often referred to as “the Marco Polo of the Muslim world.” Dunn’s stated intent was “to bring Ibn Battuta’s adventure to general readers, in hopes that the Moroccan journeyer will become as well known in the Western world as Marco Polo is” (ix).
Dunn’s account of Ibn Battuta’s travels through the central regions of Islam, India, China, Indonesia, Central Asia, and East, West, and North Africa is very intricate and full of historical detail. He helps the Western reader begin to learn of Islamic customs and culture among many different people, places, and empires. Dunn rather miraculously takes the reader on a journe...