The introduction and notes have been prepared by John Terry and the translation is that of H. For the better part of three decades he covered about 73, miles—— nearly three times the circumference of the Earth——visiting most of the predominantly Muslim statates of the world as well as many non-Muslim regions such as China and eastern Europe. According to his own account, Ibn Battuta shifted gears during this trip and decided to travel as widely as possible instead of embarking on a legal career.
Ibn Battuta writes as a genuinely curious student of the world and had no formal training in the rihla , or the genre of medieval Islamic travel literature in which he took part. Yet Ibn Battuta traveled to, and reports on, a great many more places than Marco did, and his narrative offers details, sometimes incidental bits, sometimes in long disquisitions, on almost every conceivable aspect of human life in that age.
What was it about the ceremonies, farming practices, and strange habits of foreigners that merited his attention as a curious traveler? Where does he appear to have prejudices, and where does he see the familiar?
How does he do so, and what seems to be his understanding of the world through which he's traveling? Why might these be included in a set of excerpts about medieval Africa?
On leaving Zayla 5 we sailed for fifteen days and came to Maqdasha [Mogadishu], which is an enormous town. Its inhabitants are merchants and have many camels, of which they slaughter hundreds every day [for food].
