1Y OF UN A.D. VOL. I No. CX 1956 HAKLUYT SOCIETY PATRON: H.R.H. THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, K.G., P.C., K.T., K.P. COUNCIL AND OFFICERS, 1956 PRESIDENT J. N. L. BAKER, Esq., M.A., B.Litt. VICE-PRESIDENTS Professor E. G. R. TAYLOR, D.Sc. JAMES A. WILLIAMSON, Esq., D.Litt. Sir ALAN BURNS, G.C.M.G. COUNCIL (WITH DATE OF ELECTION) A. H. G. ALSTON, Esq. (1956) Professor C. R. BOXER (1955) G. R. CRONE, Esq., M.A. (1955) E. S. DE BEER, Esq., F.S.A. (1956) Sir MAURICE HOLMES, G.C.B., G.B.E. (1957) Sir GILBERT LAITHWAITE, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., K.C.I.E., C.S.I. (1956) Sir HARRY LUKE, K.C.M.G., D.Litt. (1954) Commander R. D. MERRIMAN, R.I.N., D.S.C. (1957) J. V. MILLS, Esq., M.A. (1956) GEORGE P. B. NAISH, Esq. (1955) WALTER OAKESHOTT, Esq., F.S.A., Hon. LL.D. (1954) Professor D. B. QUINN (1957) Lord RENNELL of RODD, D.L., F.S.A. (1954) Royal Geographical Society (General Sir JAMES MARSHALL-CORNWALL) HELEN M. WALLIS, D.Phil. (1957) Sir RICHARD WINSTEDT, K.B.E., C.M.G., F.B.A., D.Litt., Hon. LL.D. (1953) TRUSTEES J. N. L. BAKER, Esq., M.A., B.Litt. E. W. BOVILL, Esq., F.S.A. TREASURER: F. B. MAGGS, Esq. HON. SECRETARY R. A. SKELTON, Esq., B.A., F.S.A., British Museum, London, W.C.i HON. SECRETARIES FOR OVERSEAS Australia: Professor R. M. CRAWFORD Canada: Professor J. B. BIRD New Zealand: C. R. H. TAYLOR, Esq., M.A. South Africa: DOUGLAS VARLEY, Esq. U.S.A.:W. M.IV WHITEHILL, Esq., Ph.D., F.S.A. THE OF IBN BATTUTA AJD, 1325 - 1354 Translated with revisions and from the Arabic edited by C.B1P1EM1EY and B. 1. SANGUINBTTI by H,A,R.G1BB ¥OL. I CAMBRIDGE PuWshed for tke AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS 1958 PUBLISHED BY SYNDICS OP TUB CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY 200 London, N.W.i 32 57th York 22, N.Y. IV in MacLehose Company Limited at the Ummwsity CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS .. .. Page viii FOREWORD .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ix IBN JUZAYY'S INTRODUCTION, IN WHICH THE ORIGIN AND COMPILATION OF THE BOOK IS SET FORTH . .. i Invocation to God and the Prophet, i: panegyric of the Sultan of Morocco, 2: Ibn Battuta and his travels, 5: composition of his narrative, 6: put into literary form by Ibn Juzayy, 6 CHAPTER I. NORTH-WEST AFRICA AND EGYPT .. 8 Ibn Battuta's departure from Tangier at the age of twenty-two, A.H. 725 (A.D. 1325), for the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, 8: at Tlemsen and Miliana, 9: Algiers and Bougie, 10: Constantine and Bone, 12: Tunis, 12: the Sultan, 13: pilgrim caravan formed, 15: at Susa and Sfax, 15: Gabes and Tripoli, 16: Ibn Battuta married at Tripoli, 17: crosses the desert, 17: separates from his first wife and marries a second, 18: arrives at Alexandria, 18: description of the city, 18: its learned men, 21: the Litany of the Sea, 25: a riot, 27: Ibn Battuta goes on to Kom Torouga, 29: and Daman- hur, 30: and Fuwwa, 30: visits the shaikh al-Murshidi, 30: rides to Nahrariya, 32: Ibyar, 32: Mahalla, 34: Tinnis and its lake, 35: Damietta, 36: anecdotes of the shaikh al-Sawi, 37: Ibn Battuta goes on to Fariskur and Ashmun al-Rumman, 40: and Samannud, 40: arrives at Cairo 'mother of cities', 41: Mosque of 'Amr, 42: monastic establishments of Cairo and their cere­ monies, 43: the Qarafa (cemetery), 45: the Egyptian Nile, 48: the Pyramids, 50: the Sultan of Egypt, al- Malik al-Nasir, 52: some amirs, 53: qadis, 55: scholars and notables, 57: the Mahmil, 58: Ibn Battuta leaves Cairo for Upper Egypt with the pilgrim caravan (May, A.D. 1326), 59: goes to Bush, Dalas and Bibba, 60: and Minya, 61: the story of Khaslb, 61: Ibn Battuta travels to Mallawi and Manfalut, 63: to Asyut, 64: to Akhmlm, 65: to Hu, 66: to Qina and Qus, 66: to Luxor and Isna, 67: to Edfu, and across the desert to 'Aidhab on the Red Sea, 68: the pilgrims find the ships sunk, return to Qus, and sail down the Nile to Cairo (arriving about 17 July, A.D. 1326), 69 CONTENTS CHAPTER II. SYRIA .. .. .. .. page J~L Ibn Battuta leaves Cairo, 71: reaches Bilbais and Salihiya, and crosses the desert to Gaza, 71: travels to Hebron, 73: by Bethlehem to Jerusalem, 77: the Dome of the Rock, 78: holy places and scholars, 79: Ibn Battuta visits Ascalon, 81: goes on to Ramla and Nablus, 82: 'Ajlun and through the Ghawr to Acre and Tyre, 82: to Sidon, Tiberias, and Beirut, 84: the story of Abu Ya'qub, 86: journey continued to Tripoli, 88: to Hisn al-Akrad, Horns, and Hamah, 90: to Ma'arra, 92: and by Sarmm to Aleppo, 93: the citadel of Aleppo, 95: the city and its qadis, 97: journey resumed to Tizin, 103: Antioch and the castle of Baghras, 103: the castle of Qusair, and castles belonging to the Fida'i sect, 105: a story of the amir Qarasunqur, 107: Ibn Battuta jour­ neys to Jabala, 109: the tale of Ad'ham, no: a false Mahdl, 112: Ibn Battuta goes on to Latakia, 113: and to Lebanon, 115: to Ba'albek, 116: and reaches Damas­ cus (about 9 August, A.D. 1326), 118: the poets' praises of the city, 119: the Great Mosque described, 124: its imams and teachers, 132: qadis of Damascus, 134: its colleges, 137: tombs and holy places, 139: environs of the city, 141: pious endowments of its people and their charity, 148: their religious ceremonies, 150: lectures attended by Ibn Battuta, 154: and teaching diplomas obtained by him, 155: his third marriage, 157 CHAPTER III. FROM DAMASCUS TO MECCA .. .. 158 The pilgrim caravan leaves Damascus (i September, A.D. 1326) and camps at Kiswe, 158: journeys to Sanamain, Ezra', and Bosra, 158: to Karak, Ma'an, and Dhat Hajj, 159: enters the desert and waters at Tabuk, 160: Ukhaidir 'valley of hell', 161: halts at Qual'at al-Mu'adhdham and Mada'in Salih, 162: at 'Ela and Hadlya, 162: the pilgrims reach Madlna and perform the customary ceremonies, 163: the Mosque of the Apostle of God, 164: its building by Muhammad, 167: its enlargement by Omar, 168: and by other Caliphs, 170: the qibla and pulpit, 172: imam of the mosque, 174: its servitors, muezzins, and resident scholars, 175: the amir of Madina, 178: holy places outside Madina, 178: religious exercises of the pilgrims, 182: they leave after four days for Mecca, 184: Ibn Battuta assumes the obligation of the Greater Pil­ grimage, 184: the pilgrims camp at Shi'b al-Hajj, at Rawha', at Safra, and at Badr, 184: site of the battle of Badr, 185: the caravan enters the 'Flat of al-Bazwa' and journeys on by Rabigh and Khulais, vi CONTENTS 186: and by 'Usfan and Man al-Zuhran to Mecca, 187 CHAPTER iv. MECCA .. .. .. .. page i88 The pilgrims enter the Mosque and perform their ritual exercises at the Ka'ba, 188: a meditation, 189: descrip­ tion of Mecca, 190: of the Mosque, 191: and the Ka'ba and its marvels, 193: the Black Stone, 196: the Maqam (station), 198: and Hijr (enclosure), 199: the well of Zamzam, 199: the gates of the Mosque and sanctuaries outside Mecca, 201: and mountains around the town, 210: adventure of two pilgrims in the mountains, 213: the two amirs of Mecca, 214: good qualities of the Meccans, 215: the qadi and khatib of Mecca and imam of the pilgrimage ceremony, 216: other imams and notables of Mecca, 219: some sojourners at Mecca, 221: the story of the shaikh Sa'id and his mission to India, 223: the story of Hasan the demoniac, 229: religious practices of the Meccans, 230: the 'Umra (Lesser Pil­ grimage) of Rajab, 234: tribesmen of the vicinity, 236: ceremonies in Sha'ban and Ramadan, 238: and in Shawwal, 241: Sacralization of the Ka'ba, 242: rites of the Pilgrimage, 242: station at 'Arafa, 244: conclusion of the Pilgrimage, 246 CHAPTER V. FROM MECCA TO KUFA .. .. .. 249 Ibn Battuta leaves Mecca in the caravan of 'Iraq (17 November, A.D. 1326), 249: the caravan returns to Madina, 250: camps at Wadi'l-'Arus, enters Nejd, and halts at 'Usaila, 251: at Naqira, Qarawra, Hajir, Samira, and Makhruqa, 251: arrives at Faid, 'halfway between Mecca and Baghdad, 252: travels on by Ajfur and Zarud, 253: and by Tha'lablya, Birkat al-Marjum, al-Mashquq, Zubala, al-Ga, the 'Devil's Pass', and Waqisa, 253: and by Lawra, al-Masajid, Umm Qurun, al-'Udhaib, and al-Qadisfya, 255: arrival of the caravan at al-Najaf, the mausoleum and its tombs, 255: one claimed to be the tomb of 'AH, 256: the Naqlb al- Ashraf (marshal of the sharifs) governs the city for the King of 'Iraq, 258: story of the sharif Abu Ghurra, his flight from 'Iraq to Sind and to India, and his death, 259: Qasim, brother of Abu Ghurra, 'a hero of heroes', 263 BIBLIOGRAPHY .. .. .. .. .. .. 265 Vll LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS The Mosque of Mecca, with the Ka'ba, from the east frontispiece Fig. i. Ibn Battuta's itinerary in Syria .. .. page 70 2. Plan of Damascus in the fourteenth century page 122 3. Ibn Battuta's itineraries in Arabia . * facing page 158 4. Plan of the Mosque of Madlna, showing the buildings added by successive Caliphs .