The Odyssey of Ibn Battuta

Born in 14th century Morocco, and a contemporary of Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta has left us an account in his own words of his remarkable journeys throughout the Islamic world. His "al-rihla" or 'Travelogue' is a fascinating mosaic of mysticism and reportage offering a prototype magic realism. The author discusses the subtleties of the "al-rihla".