Ibn Batuta was probably the most famous of the early Muslim travelers. On foot and by animals, he covered about 120,000 kilo meters – the equivalent of three times round the Equator. He travelled from Spain to China, and from central Africa to the Russian steppes. His accounts tell us much about the Muslim world of 14th century.
He situated law, like the rest of his family, but when he was twenty-one he set off on a pilgrimage to makka. On his first journey he went via the Red Sea to makka, then Syria, Iraq, Khorasan, southern Persia, Azerbaijan, and back to Baghdad. He settled in Arabia for three years, but then became restless again, and once more set off on a long journey. His travels took him to Jeddah, Yemen, Aden, Tanzania (by boat), south Arabia, Oman, Hormuz, south Persia and back makka. His next journey was to the black sea, Crimea, Constantinople, Russian steppes, Constantinople again, then Bukhara, Samarkand, khorasan, Afghanistan, Hindu Kush and across the Indus. By now, he was famous and had many friends among rulers, princes, sultans and emperors.
He wanted to settle, the sultan of Morocco ordered him to the Muslim Sahara desert. Here he stayed for two years, before reaching death (1368/9). His account of his travels is the main source of the Muslim world in the middle Ages.