Born February 25, 1304,
Tangier, Morocco
Died 1369,
Fez Morocco

Abu Abdallah Ibn Battutah, a Muslim legal scholar, was perhaps the most important traveler of the medieval period. In 30 years he journeyed 75,000 miles throughout Africa and Asia. He dictated a book about his travels that is still considered a reliable description of geographic locations during his time. Ibn Battutah was also an authority on the history and customs of Islam.

Ibn Battutah was born on February 25, 1304, in the city of Tangier, Morocco, into a family of Muslim legal scholars. A devout Muslim himself, he left his birthplace at the age of 22 (soon after finishing his studies) to make the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina that is required of Muslims who can afford it. “I set out alone, with neither companion to delight in nor caravan to accompany, my sole inspiration coming from...