The Times magazine published its August 1 issue this year. They avoided many of the most important economic and political issues and chose instead to focus on the ancient Ibn Battuta. The cover story was an attempt to understand the evolution of Islam in this age. He was from Morocco, which is in the Arab region. Battuta is a great example of a Western European traveler. Ibn Battuta’s name is found in many places, including universities, shops, and street names. His travels are the reason for his reverence among Muslims. Battuta started his world tour after a Mecca Pilgrimage when he turned 22. Battuta is a traveler who has traveled to places that are cruel and unknowable. His journey was accidental and inevitable. Many people believe that his success as a traveler was a mere coincidence. He thought that, if not for the pilgrimage in Mecca, he could stay at home. Battuta travelled to a number of places that have changed the way he views life and the world.
A map from antiquity has changed his first impression. Adris, Director of the Tangier Museum emphasized that Adris was not traveling for pleasure, but to pay tribute to his predecessors. Bai Tutai and Idris were famous geographers who painted the first ancient globe map of the world before Tangier. The ancient world map was the catalyst for his motivation. His desire to learn led him to travel. The Tangier Museum has a replica of the ancient map. It is a map that, just like the one at the time, will have the north and south upside down. Mecca, as can be seen on the world map is in the middle between Tangier and Beijing. Ibn Battuta was very attentive to the localities, adding a lot to his travel book and providing valuable information. Battuta travelled more than 40 year after the last Crusade. Battuta may not have visited Western Europe, where the Roman Catholic church is in charge, but he did meet many Greek Orthodox Christians who lived in Eastern Europe. The Eastern Roman Empire has even had emperors. After Western Rome fell under the control of “barbarians”, eastern Rome kept its political system, aesthetics, religion, and name. The emperor is a fantasy to pagans who travel abroad. Because of this, many people don’t believe Marco Polo was the one who saw the Emperor of Yuan Dynasty. The description of his travels shows that he was able to see the logic and record of the Eastern Roman Empire Andronicus, and these details are clear and conclusive. The secretary for the Moroccan Sultan titled the travel notes “Ibn Battuta”. The great Marco Polo is his replica, so their travels will be similar. Both spent their youth in wealthy cities, where they were both well-educated. It is clear that neither of these two people are happy with the way things are, so they decided to leave the peaceful life behind and travel towards the East. Battuta travelled to Mecca to spend a vacation, but he also wanted to explore the rest of the east. It seems that the love for traveling is the main reason for both of them to travel to the unknown. Both had an intimate relationship with the Mongols, who ruled the world in the early 1900s. Battuta and Andronicus met outside Saint Sophia’s gates. His grandson had taken him away. It was a similar experience to that of many Dali Emperors during the Song Dynasty. Our travelers and the emperor monks had a historic meeting that was significant in the history Christian-Muslim exchanges. The emperor learned that Battuta had gone to Jerusalem after chatting with him. The emperor leaned forward and told the translator to tell the Muslims they must shake hands those who worship Holy Spirit. Battuta describes his God encounters in Jerusalem with great detail. Two talents separated reluctantly. The short and grand dialogue occurred in a Christian and Muslim generation. Battuta recorded all of the events in Arabic. In the Christian Monaster, the emperor is recorded as having traveled. Some historians have expressed doubts and even believe that the emperor has never arrived. Europe was in a dark Middle Ages while the Islamic world remained alive. From the 7th AD onwards, all sorts of travels were documented. These stories are about travelers from the Islamic World. For the moment, they are called “Islamic Travelers”, but other religions and cultures have also been represented in the travel team.
Battuta wants to see the world, and his psychology is solid. At the time of the emergence of the three major cultures, they were divided roughly into the Christian culture circle in Europe and North Africa/Middle East, the Arab culture circle in North Africa/Middle East, as well as the Mongolian/Chinese circle to the East. These three circles of culture are not three plates made from iron. The three cultural circles were in sync. At the time, Muslim communities were spread across Europe and Asia. Battuta had been awed by “Allah, the Great”. He was assisted on his journey by many Muslims. At the end of his journey, he had walked 120,000 kilometers. He began his inspection with a friendly, tolerant attitude after becoming friends and understanding of other cultures and faiths. He can carry out these tasks with calmness and ease in either a pagan or Muslim country. Islam has a tradition that respects the exploration of knowledge. There are over 6,500 Qur’an verses. A quarter of its context is dedicated to the study of natural phenomena. He claimed that scientists have never been persecuted in Islam’s history. As a Muslim, the Islamic view is that seeking knowledge should be our highest goal in life and a way to reach God. Some Muslims are misled into thinking that modern culture, science and technology are enemies of Islam. All knowledge is from God. This includes both humanities and science. Many people believe that Battuta’s success as a traveler is a mere coincidence. He thought he wouldn’t leave his hometown for the pilgrimage if it wasn’t necessary. This is a complete misunderstanding. A map from antiquity enticed Battuta on his journey.
Adris concluded his remarks by saying that Battuta’s journey was not for fun but rather in order to pay tribute to the works of his predecessors. Moroccan identity, then, has made his stories of other worlds come true. Idris was a well-known geographer who created the map that he uses. In 1142 AD, he traveled around the world and painted the world’s first ancient map. Battuta became a traveler because of this ancient world map. This ancient map is a replica, which was collected by the Tangier Museum. It, too, has many loopholes, as it had the north and south upside down. It was not just Battuta who changed his mind on this trip, but the entire Islamic world and area.
