One of the most contested cities in the history of the Abrahamic faiths is Jerusalem. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all lay claim to the city, each citing a religious text to support the assertion. As a result, Jerusalem has also borne witness to some of the harshest wars fought between followers of these religions. During […]
Category: Asia
Wasit
The town of Wasit was in its prime during the medieval period during which Ibn Battuta visited the city. Many scholars debate over the exact origins of the city. It has been determined that it was in the 8th century that the city came to importance because it was the seat of the Umayyad government […]
The Maldives
The Maldives is a country that is made of nearly 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean. The first people arrived in the Maldives from India and from current day Sri Lanka in the 5th century [1]. The people of the Maldives were originally Buddhists, but they were converted to Islam in the 12th century [2]. […]
Quanzhou
Quanzhou is one of the oldest cities in China. It was one of the first places in China to be opened to people from outside China. Due to its proximity to the city of Hangzhou (which was Ibn Battuta’s next stop) the city flourished with travelers. It was also a local port from which spices […]
Mountain of Sarandib (Adam’s Peak)
The Mountain of Sarandib is also known as Adam’s Peak. It is located in Sri Lanka, and is approximately 7,357 feet high [1]. The mountain is extremely dangerous to climb and is filled with roads that were made by the British when they were looking for and planting tea. The mountain is sacred to Buddhists […]
Kunakar (Gampola)
The name of this city that Ibn Battua mentions in his Rihla is Kunakar. The translation of the Rihla notes that this city is unknown, but in some articles the town of Kunakar is referred to as Gampola. Gampola was an important city when Ibn Battuta visited Ceylon (Sri Lanka) because it was the seat […]
Kollam
Kollam is in southern India on the coast of the Arabian Sea. It was a large port town, and flourished due to merchants coming from China in the East, and Arabs in the west. Many travelers visited the port of Kollam, such as Marco Polo in 1275. The name Quilon comes from the Portuguese who […]
Jeddah
Jeddah is one of the most important ports in Arabia. The town is said to have had inhabitants for nearly 3,000 years [1]. During the time that the Prophet Mohammed was alive, Islam was brought to the town. In medieval periods, it was common for merchants to stop here because it was on the route […]
Hangzhou
Like the rest of China, Hangzhou is very old, with evidence of people living there 5000 years ago. The city really developed with the Qin Dynasty (221 BCE- 206 BCE), and it was one of the Seven Ancient Capitals of China [1]. For a period beginning in the 12th century, Hangzhou was the seat of […]
Hanbanq
It is not exactly clear where the town Ibn Battuta refers to in his Rihla as Hanbanq would be in the present day. The editor of the book The Travels of Ibn Battutah, Tim Mackintosh-Smith, believes that Hanbanq is near today’s town of Sylhet, Bangladesh. He notes that another scholar, Gibb, believed that the town […]
Halab (Aleppo)
Known in English as Aleppo and in Arabic as Halab, Aleppo is one of the oldest cities in the world. Its history dates back to pre-Islamic times when it was an urban center. During the Muslim Abbasid caliphate, Aleppo became a provincial center, and was consequently deprived of any authoritative or administrative powers [1]. In […]
