Ibn Battuta in Black Africa (World History)

Book info: Ibn Battuta in Black Africa (World History) (Paperback, 150 pages) – Markus Wiener Pub, 1995. Language: English.

Abu Abdalla ibn Battuta (1304-1354) was one of the greatest travelers of pre-modern times. He traveled to Black Africa twice. He reported about the wealthy, multi-cultural trading centers at the African East coast, such as Mombasa and Kilwa, and the warm hospitality he experienced in Mogadishu.

He also visited the court of Mansa Musa and neighboring states during its period of prosperity from mining and the trans-Saharan trade. He wrote disapprovingly of sexual integration in families and of a "hostility toward the white man." Ibn Battuta's description is a unique document of the high culture, pride, and independence of Black African states in the fourteenth century.

This book is one of the most important documents about Black Africa written by a non-European Medieval historian.

The new appendixes include reports by contemporary Arab travelers who witnessed events described by Ibn Battuta, such as Ibn Khaldun, al-Maqqari, Ibn al-Dawadari and Al-Maqrizi.

Editorial Reviews Review Battuta penetrated black Africa during medieval times, documenting private lives, African cultures and religions, and politics with an eye to revealing the lively and rich West African kingdoms. His journeys in 1331 and in 1351-52 have been edited and translated into a fine, involving account for modern readers. -- Midwest Book Review