Title: The Travels of Ibn Battuta

Author: Ibn Battuta (Moroccan) 

Translator: Ma Jinpeng

Publisher: Sino-Culture Press

Edition: 1st Edition, June 2015

Format: 16 - mo Binding: Soft - hardcover

Printed Sheets: 31 Word Count: 380,000 characters

ISBN: 9787507543117

Price: 58.00 CNY

Gan Ying, Zheng He, and Ibn Battuta are well - known friendly envoys of cultural exchanges between China and Arab countries. The Silk Road spread China's papermaking, gunpowder, printing, and the compass to Europe via the Arab region, and introduced Arab astronomy, calendar, and medicine to China, writing an important chapter in the history of inter - civilizational exchanges.   ---Xi Jinping

Ibn Battuta, an Arab traveler, came to China in 1346 (the 6th year of the Zhizheng reign) to travel and investigate the local customs and practices. He visited Quanzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and Dadu (the capital of the Yuan Dynasty). After returning to Morocco, Ibn Battuta recorded his travel experiences in a book - The Travels of Ibn Battuta. This travelogue is a valuable record by a traveler for studying the history, geography, ethnicity, and folk customs of Asia and Africa in the Middle Ages. It has been cited by many scholars and remains an important source for researching the relations between China and Arab countries during the Song and Yuan dynasties.

The Travels of Ibn Battuta can be regarded as a masterpiece of Arab literature. It did not receive due attention in the years after the author's death until it was rediscovered by the Western European academic community in the 19th century. The French version was published in Paris from 1853 - 1859, causing a great sensation. Since then, it has been translated into various languages and published worldwide.

Ibn Battuta (1304 - 1377), a Moroccan and a great traveler, was born into a Berber family in Tangier, Morocco, on February 24, 1304. At around 20 years old, he set off on a pilgrimage to Mecca. From then on, he embarked on a journey of up to 75,000 miles, passing through the territories of what are now 44 countries.

Ma Jinpeng (1913 - 2001) was an associate professor of Arabic at Peking University and an Islamic scholar. In 1932, he was selected to study at Al - Azhar University in Egypt. He once served as the chief editor of Yuehua. In July 1953, Ma Jinpeng accepted the appointment letter from Mr. Ma Yinchu, the president of Peking University, and went to Peking University to teach Arabic. Ma Jinpeng was diligent throughout his life, and his translations covered various fields such as grammar, religion, and literature. After the translation of The Travels of Ibn Battuta was published, it provided valuable materials for the study of the history of Sino - Western communication and promoted the friendship between China and Morocco. In his later years, in his eighties, Ma Jinpeng spent nearly a decade translating and publishing Translation and Annotation of the Quran despite his frail health, fulfilling his lifelong wish.

1st Volume

Preface

A Brief Biography of Ibn Battuta

Preface by Ibn Juzayy, the Sultan's Secretary

Ibn Battuta's Audience with the Caliph

Ibn Juzayy's Commission to Record the Travelogue

The Journey Starting from the Maghreb

Arrival at the City of Algiers

The Sultan of Tunis

The City of Gabes

The City of Alexandria

The Gates and Port of Alexandria

Account of the Lighthouse

The Column of Silsilah

Some Scholars of the City

Stories

The Miracles of Khalifa

The Miracles of Burhan al - Din

Stories

The Miracles of the Sheikh

The City of Damietta

The Miracles of Sawwa

Description of Misr

The Mosque of Amr and the School, Hospital, and Khanqah

The Cemeteries of Misr

The Nile River

The Pyramids and the Sphinx

……

2nd Volume

Preface

The Post - relay System

The Rhinoceros

Stories

The Procedures of Traveling on the Indus River

Strange Things Seen Outside the City

The King's Generosity

……