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Ibn Battuta Facts & Worksheets

Ibn Battutah was a Moroccan Muslim scholar and explorer who widely traveled most of the Old World.

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Ibn Battutah was a Moroccan Muslim scholar and explorer who widely traveled most of the Old World. He dictated an account of his journeys that is written in one of the most famous travel logs in the world, the Rihla. It describes the people, places, and cultures he encountered in his journeys.

See the fact file below for more information on the Ibn Battuta or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Ibn Battuta worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE AND CAREER

  • Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta was born in Tangier, Morocco, on February 24, 1304, during the reign of the Marinid dynasty.
  • His family was of Berber descent and had a tradition of service as judges.
  • He spent his childhood studying at an Islamic school learning reading, writing, science, and mathematics. However, Battuta chose to travel after receiving an education in Islamic law.

HAJJ

  • In June 1325, at the age of 21, he left his house and set off from his hometown initially on a hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca, a journey that took him 16 months.
  • His trip to Mecca was mostly by land. To decrease the chance of being attacked, he usually chose to join a caravan.
  • Along the way, he visited many cities, such as Tunis, Alexandria, Cairo, Damascus, and Jerusalem.
  • In the town of Sfax, he took a bride, the first in a series of marriages that would highlight his travels. During his journeys, he endured wars, shipwrecks, and rebellions.

TRAVELS

  • During his pilgrimage, Battuta discovered that he loved traveling.
  • He liked witnessing new places, experiencing various cultures, and meeting new people, so he decided to continue traveling.
  • For the next 28 years or so, he would travel the world.
  • Battuta first started his voyage by exploring the lands of the Middle East.
  • He sailed down the Red Sea to Mecca and passed the huge Arabian Desert on his way to Iraq and Iran.
  • In 1330, he set off again and traveled along the east coast of Africa, spending time in Somalia and Tanzania. After seeing much of the African coast, he turned back to Mecca.
  • Then, in 1332, Ibn Battuta decided to visit India. He went north, visiting the land of Anatolia (Turkey) with the intention of taking an overland route to India. Once in India, he was appointed as a judge working for the Sultan of Delhi.
  • After a few years, he left India and continued his travels to China.
  • In the year 1345, he arrived in Quanzhou, China.
  • While in China, Ibn Battuta visited various cities, such as Beijing, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou. He went to the Grand Canal, visited the Great Wall of China, and met with the Mongol Khan, who ruled China.
  • Ibn Battuta decided to go home to Morocco after spending over a year in China.
  • He had nearly reached home when a messenger told him that his parents had died while he was away.
  • Rather than going back home, he continued his travels.
  • He traveled north to Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain) and then went back south into the heart of Africa to visit Mali and the famous African city of Timbuktu.

LATER LIFE AND DEATH

  • In 1354, Ibn Battuta ultimately returned home to Morocco.
  • He narrated the story of his adventures to a scholar who wrote it all down in a book known as The Rihla.
  • Ibn Battuta then stayed in Morocco and worked as a judge until he died around the year 1369.

INTERESTING FACTS

  • His journeys covered 44 modern-day countries.
  • He frequently served as a Qadi (a judge of Islamic law) at various places along his travels.
  • He married many times during his journeys and even had some kids.
  • On one trip, he was chased down and robbed by bandits. He was able to escape with nothing but his pants and caught up to the rest of his group later.
  • He survived mostly through the gifts and hospitality of fellow Muslims.
  • Some historians question if Ibn Battuta actually traveled to all the places he mentioned in his book.

Ibn Battuta Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Ibn Battuta across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Ibn Battuta worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Ibn Battutah who was a Moroccan Muslim scholar and explorer who widely traveled most of the Old World. He dictated an account of his journeys that is written in one of the most famous travel logs in the world, the Rihla. It describes the people, places, and cultures he encountered in his journeys.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Ibn Battuta Facts
  • Ibn Battuta Quick Facts
  • Brief Bio
  • Battuta’s Hajj
  • Life of Ibn Battuta
  • Love of Travel
  • He Was There!
  • Encountered Words
  • Travel Logs
  • Is It Real?
  • Modern Battuta

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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