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The places of Ibn Battuta, the complete collection (in update)

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The complete and constantly updated collection of Ibn Battuta’s “Travels”, a way to have videos, articles and podcasts in one place

The complete (and constantly updated) list of “The travels of Ibn Battuta”

Starting from 2020, enchanted by “The Travels” of Ibn Battuta, I began to discover all the places visited by the legendary Arab traveler by telling the story of each of them. What you find here is the collection with all the episodes published so far; you will find: all the links, the words of Ibn Battuta and a very short description of the place in question.

A few clarifications: this series started many years ago and only two years ago I also started “real” videos, consequently the older articles could have, more than a real video, the repetition of the podcast but on Youtube. Furthermore, not all places have a precise description of Ibn Battuta since for some of them our beloved traveler spent just a few words; the only real case of lack should be that relating to Constantinople, but it will be updated. I add that I have placed the link to Spotify podcasts for my convenience, but they are available on all major platforms.

The list

Finally, the most important thing: the actual list. Personally I advise you to let yourself be carried away by the imagination and take a look at all the photos before choosing where to venture but, if you are lazy or in a hurry, I leave you the mere list of cities in their order. For my convenience, the latter does not follow the chronological list of Ibn Battuta’s adventures, but a list found on Wikipedia which divides everything according to the geographical area. Enjoy the reading!

Maghreb:

Tangier (Marocco), Algiers (Algeria), Constantine (Algeria), Tunis (Tunisia) and Tripoli (Libya).

Mashreq:

Alexandria (Egypt), Cairo (Egypt), Minya (Egypt) and Luxor (Egypt).

Gaza (Palestine), Hebron / al Khalil (Palestine), Bethlehem (Palestine), Jerusalem (Palestine) and Nablus (Palestine).

Tire (Lebanon), Sidon (Lebanon), Tripoli (Lebanon) and Baalbek (Lebanon).

Hama (Syria), Aleppo (Syria), Latakia (Syria) and Damascus (Syria).

Arabian Peninsula:

Medina (Saudi Arabia), Mecca (Saudi Arabia) and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).

Ta’izz (Yemen), Sana’a (Yemen) and Aden (Yemen).

Dhofar (Oman) and Bahrain (Bahrain).

Iran and Iraq

Najaf (Iraq), Basra (Iraq), Kufa (Iraq), Baghdad (Iraq), Mosul (Iraq) and Sinjar (Iraq).

Esfahan (Iran), Shiraz (Iran) and Tabriz (Iran).

East Africa:

Mogadishu (Somalia), Mombasa (Kenya) and Kilwa (Tanzania).

Turkey

Cizre, Mardin, Alanya, Antalya, Laodicea on the Lycus and Milas. Konya, Aksaray, Kayseri, Sivas and Erzurum. İzmir, Manisa, Bursa and İstanbul.

Russia, Ukraine and Central Asia

Feodosia (Ukraine), Azov (Russia), Majar (Russia), Bolghar (Russia), Astrakhan (Russia) and Saray (Russia).

Bukhara (Uzbekistan), Samarkand (Uzbekistan), Balkh (Afghanistan) and Herat (Afghanistan).

Tangier, from the Pillars of Hercules to independence (Morocco)

Tangier

The history of Tangier, from its legendary origins at the hands of a demigod, to the conquest of independence in 1956. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Algiers, the city of pirates (Algeria)

algiers

Algiers is a city that has always been able to capture the imagination and passions of many travelers over the centuries. First Phoenician, then Ottoman, the stories of the Algerian capital are enclosed in the sea and in those who were not afraid of it. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Constantine, the city of bridges (Algeria)

Constantine

Constantine, the 3rd largest city in Algeria and one of the most historic, so much so that it was for a long time the capital of Numidia with the name of Cirta. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Tunis, from Carthage to independence (Tunisia)

Tunis

The story of a city that has always played a leading role in the Mediterranean, first as Carthage and then as Tunis. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Tripoli, from its origins to the arrival of Gaddafi (Libya)

Tripoli

Tripoli, a city with a varied history, with an Ottoman parenthesis linked above all to piracy. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Alexandria of Egypt, from Alexander to Nasser (Egypt)

Alexandria
“On the first day of the month of jumada I, we arrived in Alexandria, a well-protected border town that stands in a very hospitable area, enjoys a wonderful location and is solidly built. Beautiful and safe from every point of view, it possesses memorable secular and religious works, noble residences, elegant neighborhoods and imposing palaces erected with splendid mastery. It is a rare pearl that shines brightly, a dazzling virgin adorned with jewels, beautiful and enchanting, which, interposed between East and West, brings together its attractions: here the most curious things arrive and every wonder is put on display. ”
Ibn Battuta

The history of Alexandria in Egypt, one of the most fascinating and legendary places in history. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Cairo, from Ancient Egypt to the Arab Springs (Egypt)

Cairo
“I finally arrived in Cairo, the capital of the country and former residence of Pharaoh with strong pillars. Lady of vast regions and fertile lands, she has innumerable palaces and there is no greater city in splendor and beauty! A meeting point for every coming and going, it is a resting place for the weak and powerful, nobles and plebeians, unknown emeritus and famous people. The comings and goings of its inhabitants make it similar to the waving sea; although vast and capacious, it seems impossible to contain them all. Her youth is renewed over time and the star of her horoscope is always in the house of good luck. With vittrice strength she has defeated many peoples and her kings have dominated Arabs and non-Arabs. You enjoy an illustrious privilege, the Nile, which dispenses the region from begging for the help of rain and your province […] is a generous land, which treats foreigners kindly. “Ibn Battuta

Cairo fully represents the history of Egypt, a unique country, capable of constantly shining in every century and in every era. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Minya, the heart of Egyptian cotton (Egypt)

Minya
“A city far superior to the others in Upper Egypt, which extends over a vast area on the banks of the Nile and is home to madrasas, mausoleums, zawiya and mosques.”
Ibn Battuta

Of ancient agricultural origin, the city of Minya is without a shadow of a doubt the one that, over the centuries, has most distinguished itself as the mistress of Egyptian cotton. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Luxor, from Thebes to the arrival of the Arabs (Egypt)

Luxor

Luxor, ancient Thebes, is one of the most representative places ever for Egyptian history and civilization thanks to the extraordinary and countless temples located here. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Gaza, the indomitable (Palestine)

Gaza
“Ghaza, the first city you find when arriving from Egypt, with large spaces and without walls around it. Densely populated, there are beautiful markets and many mosques: once it had a splendid Friday mosque, but today it uses one. another recently built by the Emir al-Jawali, an elegant building of solid workmanship, with a white marble minbar. “
Ibn Battuta

As proud as its name, Gaza has always represented the nightmare of every conqueror, capable of being reborn stronger than ever before. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Hebron/al-Khalil, the city of Abraham (Palestine)

Hebron
“It is a small but illustrious city, all resplendent with lights and stupendous, which contains wonders. It stands at the bottom of a wadi and has a mosque of refined execution with solid architecture, exquisitely beautiful and very high. Built in freestone, they say that it goes back to Solomon, who would have ordered the jinn to build it, and inside it houses the noble and holy cave that contains the tombs of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, facing the tombs of their respective wives [Sarah, Rebecca and Leah]. ”
Ibn Battuta

One of the most symbolic cities in the whole of Palestine, Hebron is the burial place of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, becoming, also and above all for this reason, one of the most sought after areas by Israeli settlers. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Bethlehem, the city of Jesus (Palestine)

Bethlehem
“From Hebron I left for Jerusalem and along the way I visited the tomb of Jonah, on which a large building and a mosque were built, and also Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. Here are still the famous remains of the palm trunk, around which a large building has risen that Christians venerate with great respect and where travelers find hospitality. “
Ibn Battuta

The story of Bethlehem, a Palestinian city of ancient origin and nobility, so much so that, according to two Gospels, it was also the birthplace of Jesus. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Al Quds, Jerusalem the Holy (Palestine)

Jerusalem
“It is one of the most admirable, perfect and extraordinary buildings, it boasts all sorts of attractions and possesses an infinity of wonders. Located on a hill in the center of the Sanctuary, it is accessed by a marble staircase and has 4 doors. The floor around, as well as the one below the dome, is covered with perfectly worked marble and both inside and outside the decorations are so enchanting that it is impossible to tell: they are mostly covered with gold, so that the dome shines with light and shines like the brilliance of lightning. The gaze, contemplating it, is dazzled by its beauties, and the language of the observer is unable to describe it. In correspondence to the center of the Dome stands the noble Rock mentioned in the hadith, from which the Prophet it has ascended into heaven: it is very compact and about the height of a man. “
Ibn Battuta

al Quds, “the Holy”, the Arabic name best expresses the characteristics of Jerusalem, so beautiful and sacred that it is coveted by all, condemning its inhabitants to an endless struggle of resistance. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Nablus, the new city (Palestine)

Nablus
“I headed to Nablus, a very large city, with many trees and perennial streams. It is one of the richest Syrian cities in olive trees and the oil obtained from it is exported to Cairo and Damascus. […] Of Nablus we must also remember the delicious melons, which from its name are called nabulusi and finally the Friday mosque, which represents the maximum of beauty and perfection and houses, in the center, a basin of fresh water. “
Ibn Battuta

Founded by the Romans with the name of Neapolis, Nablus has become over the centuries one of the world centers for the production of oil and cotton. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Tire, the immortal city (Lebanon)

Tyre
“Tire has become proverbial for its impregnability and for its defensive capacity, because the sea surrounds it from three sides and has two gates: one on the mainland and the other towards the sea.”
Ibn Battuta

Tire, one of the oldest cities in history. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Sidon, the first city of Phenicia (Lebanon)

Sidon
“A beautiful city by the sea and very rich in fruit, from which figs, raisins and olive oil are exported to Egypt.”
Ibn Battuta

With the first remains dating back to the Lower Paleolithic, Sidon is one of the oldest cities in the world, a place that for millennia represented “being Phoenicians”. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Tripoli, Mamluk masterpiece in Lebanon (Lebanon)

Tripoli
“Resuming the journey, I arrived in Tripoli, a capital of Syria and one of its most important cities, with streams of water running through it and surrounding trees and gardens. The sea flanks it on one side and the countryside on the other, which guarantees it considerable resources; it has excellent markets and fertile soils. The new city is located 2 miles from the sea, while the old Tripoli was on the coast. ”
Ibn Battuta

One of the most beautiful and historic cities in Lebanon, Tripoli of all, is certainly the one that most associated with the “Islamic world”, so much so that, right here, the Mamluks gave a taste of their art. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Hama, fortress of Syria (Syria)

Hama
“Then I went on to Hama, the distinguished metropolis of Syria and a wonderful city, of enchanting beauty and memorable splendor, all surrounded by orchards and gardens next to which, like celestial spheres, the norias rotate.
The city is crossed by the immense Orontes River and has a suburb, called al-Mansuriyya, which is larger than the city itself, with markets full of people and beautiful hammams. A lot of fruit is produced in Hama, including “almond” apricots, so-called because, by breaking the stone, inside you find a sweet almond. “
Ibn Battuta

Hama, by name and history, represents the indomitable fortress, present since the dawn of time and still indomitable today. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Aleppo, between Anatolia and Mesopotamia (Syria)

Aleppo
“We went to Aleppo, a very large city and important capital which is described by Abu al Husayn ibn Jubayr in this way:” It holds an outstanding rank and enjoys undying fame. Many kings have aspired to possess it and in many hearts it occupies a place of excellence. How many battagli has aroused, and how many shining swords they have drawn for her! Her fortress is famous for being impregnable and very high, so inviolable that there is no one who wants – nor can – attack it. It has freestone sides and it was erected with balance and harmony so that, competing in duration with the days and the years, it accompanied the nobles and the common people to the tomb!

Where are the Hamdanid emirs and their poets now? The cities remain and their owners leave – when these perish, the ruin of the former is not yet decreed. After the time of the hamdanids, those who want to possess it can easily have it: just want it and you get it at minimal cost. This is Aleppo. How many kings did he mention in the past tense and how many times “an adverb of place has resisted another of time”! Ah, she shone as a new bride thanks to Sayfa al Dawla ibn Hamdan, but alas, her youth will vanish, there will be no longer those who long to possess her and soon, at least, she will be destroyed ”.
Ibn Battuta

Aleppo, a city so incredible that it was long considered even superior to Damascus, the historic capital of all Syria. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Latakia, from Ugarit to Assads (Syria)

Latakia
“So I went to Latakia, an ancient city by the sea, which they say was that of the king who took all ships by force.“
Ibn Battuta

Latakia, a city capable of changing its name and identity many times, remaining forever the hidden heart of Syria. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Baalbek, the splendor of Lebanon(Lebanon)

Baalbek

Baalbek, the city that had the largest temple of Jupiter in history, still able today to attract men and women from all corners of the earth, enchanted by the remains of the past. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Damascus, the second capital of the East (Syria)

Damascus
“Damascus surpasses other cities in beauty and surpasses them with its splendor. Every description, however precise, is always too limited to convey all its attractiveness, but there are no more exquisite words than those of Abu al Husayn ibn Jubayr, who expressed himself thus:

“Yes, Damascus is the paradise of the East, the place of origin of its splendid light; the last country of Islam we arrived in, a new bride among the cities that we unveiled. Dressed up in flowers of fragrant plants, she emerges from the gardens wrapped in brocade cloth and for her beauty occupies a place of high rank, sitting on the wedding throne with splendid ornaments. Here the streams meander everywhere and the light breeze of the gardens gives life to the soul. Damascus shows its charm to those who admire it in all its splendor and say: “Come on, come here, where beauty resides both night and day!” Its land is so full of water that it almost desires to be thirsty, and little is missing for even the hard and harsh stones to say: “Hit the ground with your foot: fresh water will flow from it, good for washing and drinking!”
Ibn Battuta

Damascus, the city that has always been the physical representation of being Syrians; an open-air masterpiece able to amaze in every age with its timeless wonders. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Medina, the city of Islam (Saudi Arabia)

Medina
“On the evening of that same day we entered the sacred territory [di Medina] and finally reached the Noble Mosque. After a stop in front of Bab al Salam, we prayed in the holy Rawda, between the tomb and the minbar, and here we also kissed the relic of the palm trunk that sighed for the Messenger of God, fixed on a column to the right of who looks at the qibla. [di Muhhamd] So we paid our due respects to the Lord of the first and the last, Intercessor of rebels and sinners, the Envoy and Hashimite Prophet of Mecca, Muhammad – may God bless, save and honor him! -, and to the two Companions who are beside him in the tomb, Abu Bakr al Siddiq and Abu Hafs Umar al Faruq, may God be satisfied with them! “
Ibn Battuta

Medina is the city where Islam was transformed from theory to practice, forever transforming the whole world. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Mecca, the city of God (Saudi Arabia)

Mecca
“As God says in His sublime Book referring the words of the prophet to the Khalil, Mecca is placed in a deserted valley, but the holy prayer of Abraham has turned in its favor: every rare thing is important and for her they are gathered fruits of every kind, I myself have tasted grapes, figs, peaches and dates that have no opening in the world. Not to mention the melons, incomparable for their aroma and sweetness; the flesh is fat and eating it is a delight. they find together the goods of various countries in the world, and fruits and vegetables that come from Ta’if, from the wadi Nakhla and from the Batn Marr: all this for divine kindness towards those who live in His inviolable Shrine and the pilgrims who stay in the His ancient home. “
Ibn Battuta

Mecca, the holiest city of Islam, visited every year by the Hajj, the Pilgrimage, the 5th pillar of faith and a duty for the life of the believer. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Jeddah, the port for Mecca and Medina (Saudi Arabia)

Jeddah
“The Friday mosque in Jeddah, called al Abnus , is famous for its baraka and for the fact that pleas are answered.” [dell’Ebano]
Ibn Battuta

Jeddah has a history more than ever linked to Mecca and Medina, but, not being “holy”, it was the protagonist of most of the clashes on the Hijaz coasts. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Ta’izz, so beautiful that it sows discord (Yemen)

Ta'izz
“The next stop was Ta’izz, residence of the sovereign and one of the most beautiful and largest cities in Yemen.”
Ibn Battuta

Ta’izz, a city so large and prosperous that it laid the origins of the divisions between the north and south of Yemen. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Sana’a, the eternal capital of Yemen (Yemen)

sana'a
“After staying a few days as a guest of the Sultan of Yemen, who treated me with great respect and gave me a horse, he continued my journey to the ancient capital of the country, Sana’a; a large, well-built city, with brick and plaster buildings, many trees, fruit and cultivated fields, where the climate is temperate and the water excellent. “
Ibn Battuta

Of all the cities of Yemen, Sana’a is undoubtedly the one that has always been able to re-emerge, rightly representing the soul of the country. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Aden, the port of Yemen (Yemen)

Aden
“Then I left for the extensive city of Aden, a port of Yemen on the shore of the High Sea, where you can only enter from one side because the others are surrounded by mountains.”
Ibn Battuta

Aden is the historic port of Yemen, capable of altering the country’s fortunes according to its own and amaze travelers from all over for its prosperity. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Dhofar, the home of Frankincense (Oman)

Dhofar
“Leaving Kilwa we headed towards the far end of Yemen and landed in the city of Dhofar al Humud, on the coast of the Indian sea, from which purebred horses are exported to India […]
Located in a desert area, far from other villages and towns, the city is completely isolated. “
Ibn Battuta

The Dhofar region extends to the westernmost part of Oman, a historic place for the production of frankincense. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

History of Bahrain (Bahrain)

Bahrain
“From here we left for a large and beautiful city full of gardens, trees and rivers, al Bahrayn, where water is found simply by digging into the earth [con le mani].”
Ibn Battuta

Bahrain is a small archipelago full of history and contradictions, an extremely significant place for the history of the Persian Gulf. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Najaf, where Ali is buried (Iraq)

Najaf
“The city, located in a large rocky district, is one of the most beautiful, most populous and best built in all of Iraq and has magnificent, well-cleaned markets. […] Finally, after crossing the internal Bab al Hadra, we saw the tomb that is said to be of Ali, in front of which there are madrasas, zawiya and convents built very well, with walls covered with qashani tiles, similar to our zillij but with colors brighter and more beautiful decorations. “
Ibn Battuta

Najaf is certainly one of the most important and representative cities for the Shiite world, so much so that Ali ibn Abi Talib, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet, would be buried here, a figure of absolute and total value for this creed. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Basra, “The Overseer” (Iraq)

Basra
“A universally known Iraqi metropolis, Basra is huge, boasts elegant squares and gardens with exquisite fruit, and is as splendid as it is opulent because it is located at the confluence of two seas, one brackish and the other freshwater.”
Ibn Battuta

“Border” is perhaps the best word to describe the city of Basra, the largest Iraqi center located on Shatt al Arab, the natural border between the Arab and Persian world. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Esfahan, half of the world (Iran)

esfahan
“On the same day, continuing among gardens, streams and beautiful villages with many dovecotes, we reached Esfahan, in Persian Iraq, one of the most beautiful and largest cities in the world.”
Ibn Battuta

“Half of the world”, the most famous nickname of Esfahan, earned by showing, since its origins, an absolute example of beauty and tolerance. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Shiraz,the Athens of Persia (Iran)

Shiraz
“Famous city of great rank, well built and very extensive, Shiraz boasts elegant gardens, streams full of water, magnificent markets, excellent roads, numerous inhabitants and buildings built to perfection according to an admirable urban plan. Each guild has its own market, so as to avoid mixing with the others, and the people, beautiful, wear clean clothes: in the whole East, Shiraz is the only city comparable to Damascus not only for the beauty of the markets, of gardens, of waterways, but also of the population! “
Ibn Battuta

Few cities in the world can rival Shiraz in culture, the homeland of Sa’di and Hafez, a place that still today enchants as much as its immortal poets, a gift from Persia to the whole world. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Kufa, the city of Ali’s murder (Iraq)

Kufa
“A great Iraqi metropolis, Kufa stands out from the others for its distinguished prerogatives. Although today in ruins due to the hostile hands that have wreaked havoc on it – and at the mercy of disorder due to the Khafaja Bedouin banditry on its streets -, it was in the past the home of Compagni and tabi’un, the residence of ulema and men. pious, and even the capital of the emir of believers Ali ibn Abi Talib “
Ibn Battuta

Kufa is one of the most beautiful and significant cities of Iraq, known for being the birthplace of Abu Hanifa, the Kufic and being the place where Ali ibn Abi Talib, grandson and son-in-law of the Prophet, as well as a key figure in the Shiite world, was assassinated. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Baghdad, the city of books (Iraq)

Baghdad
“Then we arrived in Baghdad, the” Abode of Peace “and the capital of Islam, a city of excellent merits and noble rank, the seat of caliphs elected by the wise as a place to stay.”
Ibn Battuta

Baghdad, one of the most famous cities in the entire Islamic world, famous for its grandeur, beauty and, above all, for its incredible Bayt al Hikmah, one of the most legendary centers of knowledge in history. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Tabriz, the capital of the Iranian Caucasus (Iran)

Tabriz
“The next day, entering the city through the so-called Baghdad gate, we reached the immense Qazan market, one of the most beautiful I’ve seen in the world, where each trade has its own neighborhood, separate from the others.”
Ibn Battuta

Tabriz is one of the few cities in Iran to have always been a point of reference for the country, so much so that it has long been its capital. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Mosul, ancient Nineveh (Iraq)

mosul
“Of ancient and opulent origin, Mosul has an imposing citadel that enjoys a reputation for impregnability, the so-called al-Hadba (the Humped), with high towers and a solid wall. […]
I have never seen anything like it anywhere else in the world except in Delhi, the capital of the king of India“
Ibn Battuta

A city older than history itself; Mosul, formerly known as Nineveh, is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most fascinating places on earth, founded by the Assyrians and still inhabited by them today. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Cizre, Kurdish island of Turkey (Turkey)

Cizre
“Then we passed through a town called al-Muwayliha to then reach Jazira ibn ‘Umar, a large and beautiful city all surrounded by the river (Tigris) – so much so that they call it Jazira (Island). Although semi-destroyed, it still houses a beautiful market and an ancient mosque built solidly in stone – as is the stone wall around the city. “
Ibn Battuta

Cizre is an essential place if you want to try to fully understand the Kurdish epic, experienced entirely by the city. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Sinjar, heart of the yezidi world (Iraq)

Sinjar
“Resuming the journey we arrived in Sinjar, a large city located at the foot of a mountain, full of trees, fruit, streams and perennial springs, which for such a profusion of water and gardens looks a bit like Damascus.”
Ibn Battuta

Originally a Roman settlement, Sinjar has become, over the centuries, one of the hearts of the Yezidi and Kurdish world in Iraq. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Mardin, fortress of serenity (Turkey)

Mardin
“Once we got back on our way, we then reached an important city among the most beautiful, magnificent and perfect in Dar al Islam, Mardin, a center for the production of a well-known Mar’izz wool fabric and home to splendid markets, which ‘of a mountain where there is a superb and famous citadel. “[pelo di capra]
Ibn Battuta

Mardin is one of the most fascinating and peaceful places in Kurdistan, thanks to a history made mostly of beauty and tolerance. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Hormuz,the red island that gives its name to the strait (Iran)

Hormuz
“Large and very beautiful, Jarawan hosts markets full of people, as well as serving as an emporium for India and Sind and as a shipping point for goods to the two Iraqs, Fars and Khorasan. It is also the sultan’s residence. “
Ibn Battuta

Hormuz, a small island that has been able to have its say in history, so much so that the famous strait still bears his name today. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Mogadishu, lady of the Horn of Africa (Somalia)

Mogadishu
“Back in the boat, after fifteen days of sailing we reached Mogadishu, a city of immense size where very rich merchants reside and enormous quantities of camel meat are consumed (they slaughter hundreds a day), sheep and mutton; famous for its namesake and unparalleled fabrics that are exported to Egypt and elsewhere. “
Ibn Battuta

Mogadishu, a city with an extraordinary past, able to establish itself as a lady of the seas for a long time. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Mombasa, “The island of war” (Kenya)

Mombasa
“The first stop was Mombasa, a large island two days’ sailing from the Sawahil region, with no land annexed to the mainland, where bananas, lemons and cedars grow – as well as a very sweet fruit, the jamun.”
Ibn Battuta

Mombasa is one of the most evocative and well-known places in East Africa, able to represent the history of the Swahili world very well. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Kilwa and its ancient and powerful sultanate (Tanzania)

Kilwa
“Kilwa is located in a very rainy area and is a beautiful and well built city, with all the wooden houses and roofs in dis [giunco]. The inhabitants, mostly of the Shafiite rite, honest and virtuous, are engaged in a jihad because their territory is adjacent to that of the wicked Zanj. “
Ibn Battuta

The Sultanate of Kilwa was among the greatest naval powers in the Middle East and Africa, yet today only ruins remain. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Alanya, a city metaphor of Anatolia (Turkey)

Alanya
“Alanya stands on the seashore dominated by a wonderful and inaccessible fortress built by the illustrious sultan ‘Ala al Din al Rumi.”
Ibn Battuta

Alanya is a small but ancient city in Southern Anatolia able, with its history, to show you the ancient heritage of these lands. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Antalya, the city of Attalus (Turkey)

Antalya
“From here I left for the splendid Antalya, a very popular city, one of the most beautiful, largest and best organized in the world.”
Ibn Battuta

Antalya is one of the most famous cities in Anatolia, always able to represent a landing place of extreme importance. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

From Laodicea on the Lycus to Denizli, from Greek to Turkish Anatolia (Turkey)

Laodicea
“Magnificent and imposing with its seven Friday mosques, Laodicea has beautiful gardens, unquenchable waters, gushing fountains and beautiful markets. As for the artisans, almost all Byzantine women, they produce an exceptional gold brocade cotton fabric, called with the name of the city, which lasts a long time thanks to the quality and strength of the yarn. “” Magnificent and imposing with its seven mosques on Fridays, Laodicea has beautiful gardens, unquenchable waters, gushing fountains and beautiful markets. As for the artisans, almost all Byzantine women, they produce an exceptional gold brocade cotton fabric, named after the city, which lasts a long time thanks to the quality and strength of the yarn. “
Ibn Battuta

The evolution of ancient Laodicea on the Lycus is essential for understanding the history of Anatolia, a territory full of history, too often forgotten. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Milas and Bodrum, the treasures of Caria (Turkey)

Milas
“It was precisely to Milas that, having resumed our journey, we headed: one of the most beautiful and largest cities in Anatolia, full of gardens, fruit trees and streams”
Ibn Battuta

Milas and Bodrum, two of the best known and most beautiful cities in Caria, a region of Anatolia that has never stopped shining. It is no coincidence that Bodrum is the ancient Halicarnassus, home to the legendary Mausoleum, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Konya, Rumi’s house (Turkey)

Konya
“Among the shrines of Konya I remember the mausoleum of the shaykh and pious imam, the pole of the mystics Jalal al-Din, known as Mawlana and much venerated, to which a brotherhood of Anatolia, the jalaliyya, which bears the first name.”
Ibn Battuta

Konya, one of the oldest and most renowned cities in Anatolia, jewel of the Seljuks who transformed it into their capital and the home of Rumi. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Aksaray, the White Seraglio of Cappadocia (Turkey)

Aksaray

Aksaray, one of the most beautiful and significant cities in all of Anatolia, made famous for its architecture and for a particular dog native to these places. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Kayseri, treasure of Cappadocia (Turkey)

Kayseri
“After three days we left for Kayseri, another very important city under the jurisdiction of the king of Iraq, the seat of the Iraqi army and the residence of a khatun of the Emir ‘Ala al-Din Artana.”[distaccata]
Ibn Battuta

The city of Kayseri has a very ancient history and it can be very useful for understanding the fate of an almost legendary region: Cappadocia. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Sivas, cradle of the Anatolian civilization (Turkey)

Sivas
“The next stop was therefore the largest city of the king of Iraq in the region, Sivas, the residence of emirs and officials. Well built and with wide streets, it is home to markets that flock to people and there is also a building similar to a madrasa, the so-called Dar al-Siyada, reserved to house the sharif. “
Ibn Battuta

Sivas represents one of the cradles for the Anatolian civilization and this as many for the Hittites as for modern Turkey, which held one of its most important congresses ever here. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Erzurum, heart of eastern Anatolia (Turkey)

Erzurum
“Our next stop was Erzurum, also in the territories of Iraq, a very large city but largely destroyed by the civil war that broke out between two groups of Turkmen who reside there.”
Ibn Battuta

Erzurum is an ancient Armenian city which later became one of the most symbolic and historical places in terms of the history of the Republic of Turkey. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Izmir, from ancient Smyrna to the Turkish Republic (Turkey)

İzmir
“From Ephesus we headed to Izmir, a large city mostly in ruins, equipped with a citadel and located by the sea, where we took up residence in the zawiya of the pious and virtuous shaykh Ya’qub of the brotherhood of the Ahmadiyyas.”
Ibn Battuta

Izmir, in addition to being the third most populous city in Turkey, is a place full of history, linked both to Smyrna and its Ionian period and to the birth of modern Turkey. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Manisa, the city of Tantalus and the Ottoman sultans (Turkey)

Manisa
“It is a large and beautiful city that rises at the foot of a mountain, in a plain full of streams and springs, with many gardens and lots of fruit.”
Ibn Battuta

Legendary homeland of Tantalus and a place reserved for the growth of the new Ottoman sultans, Manisa has managed to establish itself, over the centuries, among the most beautiful cities in Turkey. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Bursa, the cradle of the Ottoman Empire (Turkey)

Bursa
“The Sultan of Bursa is the most authoritative Turkmen king and also the one who possesses the greatest amount of money, lands and soldiers. He always makes a tour of his fortresses – a hundred – stopping a few days in each one to put things right and see what he needs: it seems that he has never stayed a whole month in the same place. In addition, he fights the infidels relentlessly and puts them under siege. “
Ibn Battuta

Bursa is a legendary city in Turkey to say the least; shaped under the watchful eye of Hannibal, it will become the first capital of the Ottomans, giving life to one of the most incredible empires ever. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Fatih, ancient Constantinople (Turkey)

Fatih

The history of the Fatih district, the historical core of Istanbul corresponding de facto to ancient Constantinople. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Feodosia, the Ligurian port in the Crimea (Ukraine)

Feodosia
“Al Kafa, a huge city that rises by the sea; the inhabitants are mostly Genoese Christians with their emir named al Damadir , but we found accommodation in the mosque of the Muslims. “[Demetrio?]
Ibn Battuta

During his travels Ibn Battuta will also touch Feodosia, formerly known as Caffa, one of the largest and richest Genoese colonies on the Black Sea. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Azov, at the mouth of the river (Russia)

Azov
“So we resumed our journey and it took us half a day to cross another marshy area, after which in 3 days we were in Azov, on the seashore.”
Ibn Battuta

Azov is one of the places where the Russian and Turkish worlds met most often, two of the largest and longest-lived empires in history. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Majar, to the origins of the Magyars (Russia)

Majar
“Then I left for the great city of al-Majar, one of the most beautiful of the Turks, which stands on the banks of a great river and has gardens full of fruit.”
Ibn Battuta

The history of Majar, a legendary city at the origins of the Magyars, reduced to ruins for centuries. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Bolghar, the capital of Volga Bulgaria (Russia)

Bolghar
“Having heard about the city of Bulghar, which was only ten days’ walk from the sultan’s camp, I wanted to go and see what was said about the extreme shortness of the night – or of the day, in the opposite season.”[se era vero]
Ibn Battuta

Bolgar is a city by now decayed but extremely interesting for understanding the evolution of Russia from Turkic to Slav. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Astrakhan, stronghold of the Caspian (Russia)

Astrakhan
“When the party was over we set off with the sultan’s court and arrived at Astrakhan , where tarkhan, in Turkish, indicates a “tax-free place”.[al-Hajj Tarkhan] The name of the city is due to a pious Turkish hajj who settled there, in whose honor the sultan had exempted the area from paying taxes: first a town had sprung up there, then it had grown into a beautiful city, with large markets. , which had expanded on the banks of the Volga, one of the largest rivers in the world “
Ibn Battuta

The history of Astrakhan, which has always been one of the most important cities in the Caspian Sea. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Saray, the capital of the Golden Horde (Russia)

Saray
“First we headed to Ukak, a city of medium importance, well built, with great resources but with a very harsh climate, which rises ten days’ walk from the sultan’s capital, al Sara.”
Ibn Battuta

At the time of its heyday, Saray was the capital of the Golden Horde, a territory that occupied much of European Russia, yet since 1501 there is no trace of it. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Bukhara, jewel of the Silk Road (Uzbekistan)

Bukhara
“We finally arrived in Bukhara, to which the traditionalist imam Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ismail al Bukhari owes his name. Once this city was the capital of Transoxiana, but then it was destroyed by that cursed Genghis Khan, the Tatar ancestor of the king of Iraq, and today it is all in ruins, except for a few rare madrasas and a few markets. “
Ibn Battuta

The history of Bukhara, a city of ancient and admirable workmanship, star of the ancient “Silk Road” together with Samarkand. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Samarkand, the Stone Fortress of the Silk Road (Uzbekistan)

Samarkand
“So I went to Samarkand, one of the most beautiful, largest and most splendid cities in the world”
Ibn Battuta

The history of Samarkand, one of the largest, most historic and beautiful cities of all that was the “Silk Road”. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Balkh, the city of saints (Afghanistan)

Balkh
“And after traveling for a day and a half in an uninhabited desert of sand, we came to Balkh, a semi-destroyed city where no one lives anymore – but those who see it would say it was inhabited, it was so well built: once it was a very large, with mosques and madrasahs with deep blue decorations, of which the vestiges still remain today. “
Ibn Battuta

The history of Balkh, one of the cities that has always been linked to the faith, as well as the historic center of ancient Bactria. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

Herat, the pearl of Khorasan (Afghanistan)

Herat
“Finally we reached Herat, the largest still inhabited city in Khorasan. There are four large cities in the province: two still prosperous, Herat and Nishapur, and two in ruins, Balkh and Merv. Herat is very large, very populous and free from disorder because the inhabitants, who follow the school of Abu Hanifa, are good, pious and virtuous. “
Ibn Battuta

Herat has always been one of the most important cities in Afghanistan and the Persian world, so much so that it has earned the nickname “Pearl of Khorasan”. Click on the title for the article (also in English), here for the video and here for the podcast.

The article will be updated with future releases of the series “The travels of Ibn Battuta”, stay up to date.

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