sharaf msc

The Greatest Odyssey Never Told: Travels of Ibn Battuta (Part 2)

＂Traveling-it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.＂

Step into the 14th century and join the legendary Moroccan scholar, Ibn Battuta, on the second leg of his breathtaking 30-year journey. Having fulfilled his pilgrimage to Mecca, the young Qadi (judge) turns his gaze further east, embarking on an epic trek that would cover 75,000 miles-three times the distance of Marco Polo-and bridge the gap between the medieval West and the farthest reaches of the Orient.

In Pearls of the East, the adventure intensifies as Ibn Battuta transitions from a humble student of law into a world-renowned traveler and diplomat. This volume follows his perilous crossing of the Hindu Kush-the ＂Hindu-Killer＂ mountains-where he must mediate the survival of his caravan amidst blinding blizzards and starvation.

His journey leads him to the ＂Golden Cage＂ of Delhi, where he serves the brilliant but mercurial Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq. Witnessing the terrifying paradox of a ruler who oscillates between extreme generosity and horrific cruelty, Ibn Battuta must navigate the treacherous waters of the royal court while witnessing the forced migration of an entire city.

From the monsoon-swept Maldive Islands, where he becomes a reluctant Chief Judge and battles ancient superstitions, to the industrial marvels of Yuan Dynasty China, Ibn Battuta captures a world on the brink of change. The story culminates in a poignant return to a homeland ravaged by the Black Death, leading him to the final jewel of Islamic civilization: Al-Andalus.