I, Muhammad, son of Abdullah, known by my family name of Ibn Battuta, spent 29 years of my life traveling to distant lands. I am the only man to have visited the land of every Muslim ruler, for which I am known as the "Traveler of Islam." The details of the many strange, wonderful, and terrible things I witnessed have been written down for me by Muhammad Ibn Juzayy in Rihla, which means Journey. I was born in Tangier in Morocco in 1304. At age 21, I left my home alone to make the Hajj, the pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca that all followers of Islam are required to perform once in their life, if possible. Not long into my journey, I discovered the thrill of traveling and decided to explore the earth. I rarely followed the same route twice, so as to see as much as possible. |
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