Ibn Battuta

Greatest medieval traveler

Medieval influential 141 sayings

Sayings by Ibn Battuta

The people of this country are very hospitable, but they have a strange custom: they shave their heads and beards.

c. 1330 — Describing a custom in some regions, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I saw a woman who had a beard, and she was very old.

c. 1345 — Describing a unique sight, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The Sultan of this country has a thousand wives, and he treats them all equally.

c. 1340 — Describing a royal household, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The people of this city are very fond of music and dancing.

c. 1340 — Describing cultural practices, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I saw a man who had no arms, and he was able to write with his feet.

c. 1342 — Describing a remarkable person, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The people of this country are very superstitious, and they believe in magic.

c. 1345 — Describing local beliefs, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I was invited to a feast, and they served me a dish of roasted dog.

c. 1346 — Describing a meal, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The women of this country are very beautiful, and they wear rings on their toes.

c. 1344 — Describing fashion, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I saw a bird that was as large as a camel, and it had a long neck.

c. 1342 — Describing an animal, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The people of this country are very skilled in archery, and they can shoot an arrow with great accuracy.

c. 1340 — Describing a skill, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I saw a fish that had a human face, and it was able to speak.

c. 1350 — Describing a mythical creature, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The people of this country are very fond of chess, and they play it all day long.

c. 1345 — Describing a pastime, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I was given a parrot as a gift, and it could speak Arabic.

c. 1342 — Mentioning a gift received, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The women of this country are very modest, and they cover their entire bodies.

c. 1330 — Describing women in some regions, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I saw a tree that bore fruit that tasted like honey, and it was very delicious.

c. 1340 — Describing a plant, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The people of this country are very fond of wrestling, and they hold contests every day.

c. 1345 — Describing a sport, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I was given a sword as a gift, and it was made of very fine steel.

c. 1335 — Mentioning a gift received, from 'Rihla'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I saw a rhinoceros for the first time near the Indus River. It looked like a huge pig with a horn on its nose, and it was uglier than anything I had ever seen.

1355 — Travel writings in "The Rihla"
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

In Mali, I saw a man eat an entire roasted sheep by himself, and then drink a bucket of sour milk. The people there have stomachs like camels.

1352 — Describing eating habits in Mali
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The women of the Maldives go about naked from the waist up, and they are the most beautiful women I have ever seen.

1343 — Observations in the Maldives
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable