Mecca Summary and Analysis

The annual official hajj caravan from Damascus to Mecca varies in size each year, Dunn explains, but is sometimes very large with possibly up to 20,000 travelers. Ibn Battuta sets out to Mecca from Damascus with the official caravan in September of 1326.

The journey is about 820 miles by the regular route, Dunn explains, and is usually covered in 45 to 50 days. It is an arduous journey, made on foot by most pilgrims or by camel litter by those able to afford to hire one. The terrain is rugged at times and water is sometimes scarce. Several pilgrims die along the way each year.

The first major stop along the pilgrimage is the town of Medina, which contains the Mosque of the Prophet, where the Prophet Muhammad once preached and the location of his tomb. The caravan camps outside the town, and Ibn Battuta...