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North Africa

Ibn Battuta was born in Tangier Morocco
from a family of muslim scholars in 1304
he earned his law degree as a young man
the pilgrimage to Mecca became his plan

travel was dangerous by sea and land
in Tlemcen Ibn joined a hajj caravan
riding his donkey with other pilgrims accompanied by traders
he allowed him safe passage from berber desert raiders

after a quick stop in Algiers Ibn continued to march east
in Bijaya he became ill but this did not stop him in the least
the Governor of the town offered him money and a cloak
it would be the first of many gifts when our hero was broke

the city of Tunis was a shipping port with over 100,000 souls
it was here Ibn Battuta became a Qadi (judge) at 22 years old
he stayed for two months and sat with various scholars
and government escort kept him safe from marauders

Ibn Battuta almost married the daughter of a tunisian official
after a quarrel he requested official's daughters dismissal.
he later married the daughter of a scholar from the city of Fez
i wonder if his ex-fiance was seeing red?

the 2,000 mile trip across North Africa took over 250 days
the next pilgrimage season was over eight months away
Ibn landed in Alexandria and passed the land of pharaoh
he noticed the pyramids in route to the Mamluk Cairo

the Mamluk were an imported military caste of slave soldiers
who took power for themselves and kept gave the orders
they granted safe passage to pilgrims throughout the holy lands
the lives and care of many hajji were placed in their hands

Greater Syria was also under the Mamluk control
soldiers used carpets nightly to smooth down the road
in Hebron Ibn prayed for the prophets of monotheism
next stop up the royal road was the city of Jerusalem

After taking in the sights like the Dome of the Rock
it was time for Ibn Battuta's next destination stop
Ibn arrived in Damascus during the month of fasting
he became ill but the effects were not long lasting

On the roads to Mecca many perished along the way
The trek from Damascus to Medina took up to 60 days
Once he became "al-Hajji" he did not think of home
since Allah's earth is spacious he decided to roam

Ibn joined the official caravan headed to the state of Persia
He visited Najaf, Shiraz, Baghdad, Isfahan and Basra
Ibn met the Il-Khan, or ruler, and joined his royal caravan
and visited the il-Khan capital Tabriz

After a year stay in Mecca Ibn traveled south to Aden
There he boarded a dhow set sail for Africa from Yemen
after visiting Zeila, Mogadishu, Zanj , Mombassa and Kilwa
He almost lost his life walking back to the Holy city of Mecca

After his third Hajj Ibn became restless once again
the Sultan of Delhi was looking for knowledgeable men
Ibn traveled up Syria and made the voyage to Alanya
The turks showed great hospitality in Anatolia

The Golden Horde ruled the steppe across the Black Sea
al-Islam was the state religion of its territories
Ibn was granted audience with the Khan
and joined his royal caravan to Astrakhan

The Khan had three wives and one was having his child
the Princess had not been in her homeland for a while
Constantinople at the time was called the new Rome
She wanted to deliver the baby in her ancestral home

Ibn was allowed to travel to Byzantium as a guest
and was thankful the Khan honored his request
Once the caravan returned from the Christian nation
Ibn set out towards his next destination

Ibn passed though the Khanate of Chagatay
that winter Ibn stayed with the Khan for 54 days
he later passed through the mountains of Afghanistan
Off to Delhi in hopes of working for the Sultan

When Ibn Battuta arrived in Delhi he was treated like a star
He waited for the Sultan to return from a campaign of war
Ibn finally met the Sultan and became a judge in the region
the Sultan relocated the capital to Daulatabad without reason

The Sultan of India was an eccentric and tolerated no opposition
Ibn feared he became a target of the tyrants suspicions
the Sultan wanted Ibn lead an envoy to China as Ambassador
this plan ultimately failed and ended in great disaster

A storm wrecked the ships that were set for sail one dreary night
now afraid of the wrath of the sultan he decided to take flight
Without much money or protection he decided to visit China on his own
But first he made a trip to Adam's Peak in nearby Ceylon

Ibn migrated from the Maldive Islands to the port of Chittagong
Then set sail towards Samundra once the winds were strong
The Sultan of Sumatra entertained Ibn as his guest from Allah
and granted him passage on a junk sailing to China

Ibn found no interest in China and decided to make another Hajj
while the Sultan of Sumatra provided his honored guest food and lodge
Ibn almost turned himself in to the Sultan of Delhi once he landed in India
But kept his course to Mecca until he felt conditions were friendlier

Ibn landed in Arabia and soon set sail for Persia
and traveled with a caravan in route to Aleppo Syria
a merchant informed him of the passing of both his father and son
while the Black Death daily claimed lives into the tens of thousands

When Ibn arrived in Cairo the plague continued to ravaged the lands
The Black Death was transported into Mecca by the hajj caravans
Ibn made his way back to Morocco then headed for Gibraltar in Spain
and enlisted as a volunteer in a military campaign

He visited the Alhambra in Granada and met the poet Ibn Juzayy
He did not realize their paths would cross again some day
When Ibn returned to Africa he decided to journey south
and see what the Mali Empire was all about

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