Ibn Battuta (d. ca. 700/1368) was famed in his own lifetime as the greatest of his age. He travelled extensively through the Islamic world (from his native Tangier, Morocco to China), and crossed over its boundaries in Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. His observations on political power, legal, commercial, and cultural practices in the places he visited, give his travels an insider's view of the diversity of the Islamic world. His lively narrative often uncovers the gap between theory and practice, ideal and reality.
After an overview of Ibn Battuta's journeys and how his travels became a book, Pat Harvey picks out major themes for closer analysis—how Ibn Battuta's adventures were financed, how geography and natural history are presented, issues of race and gender as addressed in the book, and the religious framework through which Ibn Battuta moved. From Harvey's account, a vivid portrait emerges of a man with some share of human failings but who was nonetheless remarkable.
About The Author
L. P. Harvey, formerly Cervantes Professor of Spanish at King's College, University of London, and Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, is the author of Islamic Spain 1250 to 1500 (1990) and Muslims in Spain 1500 to 1614 (2005).
Author: L. P. Harvey
Format: Paperback
Pages: 150
Publisher: Interface Publications
Dimensions: 24 x 18 x 1cm
ISBN: 9780195694444