'

["HE GREAT ATLAS OF DlSCO\*ERY

Muslim
Traveler;
The
RELIGION OF ISLAM, founded
in the 6th century, had spread as far as Spain and India
in only 200 years. In spite of their many different
Muslims,
nationalities, the followers of Islam, called
share many traditions, including the language and Mecca
The desen city of Mecca in Arabia iswhere
knowledge of the Arabs (the founders of Islam). Mohammed, the founder of Islam, was born in
Educated Muslims such as Ibn Battuta traveled through ad. 570 (in the Christian calendar). It is the
holiest city in Islam. When Muslims pray, they
thishuge region, and were welcome in many places. face Mecca. In the center of Mecca is the Ka'ba,
The Arabs were great travelers and seekers of knowledge. meaning shnne older than
"cube." a sacred
Islam. It is supposed to have been built by the
Except those who traveled as merchants, all Muslims prophet Abraham, also revered by the Jews as the founder of
tried to visit the holy city of Mecca. From the 9th century Ibn Baiima leaves their religion, and is believed to be a place where heavenly
Tangier to visit power directly touches the earth.
onward, many Muslims left records of what the)- had seen the holv cities of
'

T E R * A
and what they had done, not only in Islamic countries Arabia, 1325.
D I
+
but beyond. Some accounts contained improbable stories,
but they were also full of fascinating facts. One Arab TANGIER r^ * •
.

As
traveler of the 10th century left a detailed
TAINS Ibn Battuta weds
many
description of a funeral in Russia. his first of
Tim Battuta rejoins his n p. es in Tripoli.
-^ lbn Batiuia sets oui southward route at Sijilmassa,
.-.•-•
.inrril.
on his last jow
MARRAKESH* where he claims he encounters
"
D
Tfcj joining a caravan a snow storn\. He crosses the >- .
TRIPOLI
front Fez, 1352. SIJILMASSA' Atlas Mountains and reaches
Fez, Sept 1353.

TAGHAZA
Ibn Battuta passes through
Taghaza, a salt
even the homes of the salt
\ i.
D
workers are made of rock
t. with camel-skin roofs.

'^LrJ Ibn Battuta's party

\ returns through the

x\ Hoggar Mountains.
They stop at an oasis
on the other side of
TAKEDDA /
' the mountains.
•
Arab scholars WALATA TIMBUKTU v.
Scientific knowledge was well advanced in «V
?

Ibn Battuta is in LAJ\ GAO ••

Islam. When Christians still believed that
unknown territory VfS
the earthwas flat. Muslim scholars knew
|
Walata. so he
:
*
itwas round. As well as traveling and
studying science. Muslim scholars
Along the
hires a guide.
route he nonces many
V
/
(above > wrote books, built ancient baobab trees. /
Ibn Battuta spends half a year s
observatories, and founded in Timbuktu, a center of ire:
many ancient centers of with a fine, mud-walled
NULI
learning. The astrolabe (.right mosque. He then joins a
was an early navigational caravan to Takedda.
aid. and probably an Arab
Ibn Battuta
invention. Arabs were
accomplished navigators.
mistakes the great \'&+
Niger River/or the N
as did many other early
travelers. He is astonished by
J
first sight of water horses (hipp&&.
A'
<1
Al Edrisi f*
:
The famous geographer ,£ O C E
Al Ednsi was bom in North
Africa in about 1 100. He traveled
A.
T 1
C 4^
through much of Europe and the
Near East and worked for many years
for Roger 11. king of Sicily. He produced KEY TO >UP
a map of the world (left), a globe of the IBN BATTUTA
earth, and a huge guide for travelers. Travels 1324-32 o
His map shows that Edrisi even had Travels 1352-53 B-
some idea of the source of the Nile River.

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