The Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta is known as the greatest world wanderer of pre-modern times. The number of travels the Muslim legal scholar took in the first half of the 14^th century reveals the wide scope of the Muslim world.

It is exactly for this reason that The Moroccan Association of Ibn Battuta has been founded. The association of Ibn Battuta is organizing the festival to promote PEACE, MULTICULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, MUTUAL TOLERANCE and UNIVERSAL VALUES.

Purpose of the Event

The International Festival of Ibn Battuta will be held on 9^th – 12^th November 2017. The Festival presented by the Moroccan Association of Ibn Battuta aims to commemorate the legendary journey of Ibn Battuta. Listed below are some of the aims of the Ibn Battuta festival:

• The Ibn Battuta festival is meant to promote the legacy of the most famous traveler through various activities like travel movies, carnival, music show, art exhibition, The whole purpose of this event is to bring the culture of traveling to the limelight and honor the contributions of Ibn Battuta in every aspect.
• This event aimed at celebrating the traveling, arts, literature and culture. Since Ibn Battuta bring the trend of knowing the different cultures of the world, the festival will also highlight the ultimate goal of Ibn Battuta by illustrating the traditions of different countries.
• Another purpose of the event is to promote the tourism in the country. A tourist will never miss an opportunity to become a part of a historical event which illustrates the journey of the greatest traveler Ibn Battuta.

Benefits of the event

One can never deny the significance of Ibn Battuta festival, which attracts millions of people throughout the world. Let’s take a look at some of its benefits:

• Such a festival is a great opportunity to enhance your knowledge about various historical aspects. Through watching street arts or travel movies, one can learn about the history of medieval time. People can thoroughly know the greatest traveler of all times. It will ultimately increase their interest in traveling and knowing the culture of the other countries.
• Artists and musician from various countries can show their talent by participating in different activities of this event.
• Since people from different parts of the world will participate in the event, so it can boost the tourism which can ultimately contribute to improving the economic condition of the country.
• Attending this event will give people an opportunity to know the different travelers who are part of this event. Through meeting other travelers, people can have a better knowledge about the cultural or traditional diversity.

Mohamed Dekkak

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Having sailed for forty days, Ibn Battuta finally reached the busy port of Quanzhou on the shore of Fujian Province.

He was amazed at what he saw and learned that silk is being used as clothing even by less fortunate people like beggars and monks. He also admired the finest pots made of porcelain and the bigger sizes of poultry animals.

Ibn Battuta was quite shocked and anxious at the culture he did not understand. China was not a Muslim country and the cultural contrasts he came across with troubled him that it made him stay indoors most of the time. For him, seeing any Muslims feels like meeting a family.

As reported, Ibn Battuta met a wealthy Egyptian Muslim trader who settled in Hangzhou, known to have been the world’s biggest city in the 14^th century. He enjoyed banquets, magic shows, and canal rides. Ibn Battuta met a familiar face in Fuzhou. The man he met in India was now a rich man and presented with many gifts.

As he moved back to Quanzhou, he saw a junk that belongs to the Sultan of Samudra that is about to sail back. And so Ibn Battuta boarded and started to return home. For three years, he walked again the streets of Tangier, Morocco while sharing his travels throughout the Dar al-Islam.

A Festival for the Prince of Travelers

Now hailed as the Prince of Travelers and the greatest traveler of premodern times, a festival presented by the Moroccan Association of Ibn Battuta honors the legacy of Ibn Battuta will be celebrated on November 9-12, 2017 in the city of Tangier, Morocco. Bringing the concept, “Travelers, the Ambassadors of Peace”, the  International Festival of Ibn Battuta which is now in its second edition is bringing together artists, literary masters, ministers of culture, government leaders and representatives from the international community.

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Following a chain of unfortunate events in Maldives and India, losing everything he has from pirate thieves and shipwrecks, Ibn Battuta settled to go back to China alone.

Traveling Muslims like Ibn Battuta knows that Muslim hospitality is present in major sea ports. In fact, the Prophet Muhammad encouraged to travel and learn in China and therefore Ibn Battuta did not find it to be difficult as he knows he can depend on the kindness of fellow Muslims in Malaysia en route to China.

Malay leaders urged Muslim merchants to establish a business in their ports and take advantage of the country’s strong economy. Having settled, the Muslim community looked for judges, teachers, entrepreneurs, religious leaders etc. This eventually made the community grow and become more influential. Malay rulers acknowledged the benefits of converting into Muslims like going into bigger trade networks and join fully in Dar al-Islam. Even a Malay Prince of Sumatra in the 13^th century converted to Islam.

Together with some companions, Ibn Battuta sailed to Chittagong from India. Today, the country is called Bangladesh. Chittagong he shares was a city full of food and where everything was cheap. He also traveled to Sylhet to look for a famed holy man who can see the future and carry out miracles. This holy man told his disciples that a traveler from N. Africa is coming. They discovered that Ibn Battuta is on his way. For three days, he stayed there, sharing stories of travels with the holy man.

In Chittagong, he boarded a Chinese junk and traveled to Samudra in Sumatra where he stayed for 2 weeks as sultan’s visitor. The ruler gave him supplies and sent him in one the sultan’s junks to China.

The International Festival of Ibn Battuta

Happening on November 9 – 12, 2017, the Moroccan Association of Ibn Battuta is currently organizing a unique travel event called the International Festival of Ibn Battuta. Now on its second edition, the event is paying tribute to the Prince of Travelers, Ibn Battuta.

Included in the list of event activities are music and cultural shows, stage plays, forum and conferences, street and art exhibitions, film shows and more. Visitors coming from different parts of the globe will be joining the festivity including modern day travelers, social media influencers, artists, industry professionals and people from the travel and art community.

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The small islands of Maldives are situated in the Indian Ocean, southwestern portion of Sri Lanka and India. The country is an archipelagic nation consist of 26 islets and rise just a few feet above the sea’s surface and extends to 475 miles of beautiful white sand.

During the medieval era, the country plays a vital role in exportation. Coconut fibers are utilized to produce ropes and cowrie shells which are made as Malaysia’s money as well as other parts of Africa.

In the middle of 12^th century, the locals of Maldives converted from Buddhism to Islam when a religious Muslim from North Africa got rid of the land’s bad spirits. When he arrived at the country’s capital Male, Ibn Battuta did not plan to stay longer. However, the leaders are looking for a chief judge, a person who knows Arabic and Qur’an. The leaders were happy to see a visitor that meet their requirements. To convince the traveler to stay, they have given him pearls, gold jewelry, and slaves. More so, they did something to make it impossible for him to leave by ship. He agreed to settle while giving them his conditions including being carried by a horse instead of walking.

He settled in the area with another wife who’s related to the queen, living together in less than 2 months. He’s now part of the royal family and the most important judge.

He worked on his role being a judge with keenness and strived to carry out the strict Muslim law and transform local practices. He commanded that if a man fails to appear during Friday prayer he will be whipped in public disgracefully and robbers will have their right hand cut. When he started to have opponents, Ibn Battuta chose to leave after living in Maldives for 9 months.

International Festival of Ibn Battuta

The Moroccan Association of Ibn Battuta will be putting up a travel festival specially dedicated to the legendary Ibn Battuta. Carrying this year’s theme “Travelers, the Ambassadors of Peace”, the second edition of the International Festival of Ibn Battuta will be a unique interactive event where people from the travel community, literary, will be coming together to celebrate his legacy and to empower the people to travel and promote cultural respect.

The event is scheduled for November 9-12, 2017 in the city of Tangier, Morocco. Everyone is invited to join and participate in this huge cultural event. You can also become a volunteer. To know more about this event, visit https://ibnbattuta.ma/fw-event-slug/international-festival-ibn-battuta-2nd-edition-tangier-morocco/

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Harnessing the winds to sail the ships, the group moved south and landed in the port of Calicut where they were greeted with loud sounds of drums, horns, trumpets and cheering people. Also docked in the same harbor were 13 junks from China that are much larger than the dhows with 5 decks or more which very much impressed Ibn Battuta. These ships have cabins and even private toilets. The crew of these junks can hold about a thousand workers. Ibn Battuta would later realize that these junks were not as safe compared to dhows.

The group occupied 3 junks continuing their journey to China. Their crew relocated their gifts, horses and slaves to these large ships. For the whole day, Ibn Battuta was in the mosque and intended to board the ship that afternoon. Before he can board the ship, a strong storm came up. Since the docking area was shallow, the captains ordered the junks to wait out for the storm in deep water. Feeling helpless, Ibn Battuta watched to his horror as the 2 ships were pushed to the shore and left shattered and sank. Some crew members were saved but none survived from the other one, the ship he was meant to be on.

The other ship was transporting Ibn Battuta’s luggage, servants and slaves. The ship’s captain decided to sail for China without him or the goods he needs to give to the Emperor of China.

Alone, broke and embarrassed for failing as the trip’s leader to China for the Sultan of Delhi, Ibn Battuta was still lucky to be alive. There is still the possibility to get close to the other ship so he attempted to pursue the ship but failed. He discovered 3 months later that the junk traveled to Indonesia and everything in it was taken by the king of Sumatra.

He opted to return back to the Sultan of Delhi but was afraid he might be executed. So instead, he chose to find a job and protection under southern India’s Muslim sultan where he enlisted on a day long actual battle.

And when the succeeding battle seemed to have an impossible win, Ibn Battuta in some way managed to escape the fight and proceeded down the coast arriving again in Calicut. From there he decided to pursue his travel to China alone. He knows he can experience Muslim hospitality on the way.

And so he chose to proceed to China alone but choosing the long way to make a short trip to Maldives before continuing to Sri Lanka to do a pilgrimage to the sacred Adam’s Peak.

Discover Ibn Battuta

There are more interesting stories about Ibn Battuta’s world travel. Uncover his story at the upcoming International Festival of Ibn Battuta on November 9-12, 2017 happening at the city of Tangier in the Kingdom of Morocco. Presented by the Moroccan Association of Ibn Battuta, the festival is a unique kind of offering to the international travel community.

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Recognizing the Sultan of India, Muhammad Tughluq’s temperamental and dictatorial behavior, Ibn Battuta feared for his life as a judge. The Sultan, however, had a mission in mind, one that the traveler found appealing. The ruler planned to appoint him as an ambassador to the Mongol court of China. Ibn Battuta would go together with fifteen Chinese messengers in returning to their homeland and bring back truckloads of gifts for the emperor. That way, he could flee from Muhammad Tughluq and travel to more lands in a grand style.

Ibn Battuta left Delhi in 1341 with the group to travel to China. The Sultan’s gifts for the Mongol Emperor are two hundred Hindu slaves, dancers and singers, fifteen boy servants, a hundred horses and loads of clothes, dishes, and swords. Under his command are a thousand soldiers to guard the treasure and goods ‘til they could embark on ships to China.

The group, however, was attacked by four thousand Hindu rebels just a few days they left Delhi. Ibn Battuta declared they won despite being greatly outnumbered. Soon after, there has been another attack and he was isolated from his group. About 10 horsemen hunted him but were able to overtake 3 then hid from the rest. Having escaped, he was once again threatened by 40 Hindus who stole everything he has. These thieves normally keep their captive in a cave, Ibn Battuta, however, was able to convince them to let him go trading his clothes.

Weakened, on barefoot and dressed only with his trousers on, Ibn Battuta was rescued 8 days later by a Muslim who moved him to a village. Soon, he was able to reconnect with his group and proceeded on his initial mission to China.

Ibn Battuta and his group traveled to Daulatabad without trouble and arrived at the city’s fort where they were protected. A few days of rest, they proceeded to the seaside city of Cambay full of foreign traders living in good houses.

Within days his group arrived at Gandhar where they got aboard on 4 ships. 3 of them were huge dhows intended to transport gifts which included a hundred horses, more than two hundred slaves, and servants. The fourth was a battleship that transported soldiers who were skilled archers and spear throwers to protect them in case of pirate attacks.

International Travel Event

Get to know more about Ibn Battuta’s exciting adventures at the second International Festival of Ibn Battuta happening on November 9-12, 2017 to be held at the city of Tangier in Morocco. This event is presented by the Moroccan Association of Ibn Battuta who believes in promoting cultural exchange through travel to deepen the understanding of the world’s cultural diversity.

In this regard, the team behind the event is inviting people from the travel community to join in the celebration and commemoration of the legacy of the Great Ibn Battuta. Exciting social activities will be carried out and it will be a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and discover the many wonders of traveling.

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Here’s your chance to meet the world by attending a travel festival. Everyone in the world loves to travel and get the new information of the world in different fields and departments. This festival happening on November 9-12, 2017 is not only organized for the keen interest of the people to enjoy but also the knowledge and information provided unique activities.

They can get the chance to meet the people of the world; they can also get information about the culture of Morocco and especially the tales and experiences of the travelers from around the whole world.
Meet the World and Explore New Things

No doubt the International Festival of Ibn Battuta is a global event in which the groups from all over the world will participate. There will be artists and musicians who will present their stories and tales through their scheduled performances. These will include solo performances and group performances which will be presented on stage. It will all be entertaining with informative presentations. Groups from countries where Ibn Battuta visited and got the experience of traveling will also perform.

Presentation of the Story of Ibn Battuta

Moreover, the most important part of this festival is the presentation of theater plays about the life of Ibn Battuta. Actors will play their roles according to the story of Ibn Battuta in honor of his journey and travel. This show will take place throughout the festivity in any of the stages of the Tangier, Morocco.

Invitation to all over the World

The association of Morocco which is organizing the Ibn Battuta Festival is inviting the people from all over the globe, experienced travelers, artists, culture experts, students and many other professionals to come and visit Morocco. They all are invited to increase the agglomeration of activities.

The specialty of this Festival

The specialty of this Ibn Battuta Festival is all the information of the artists and musicians, travelers and the literature are in one place. These all are related to the story of Ibn Battuta in every stage. These are correlated with the activities of traveling, life, and visits of Ibn Battuta in every country of the world. Ibn Battuta was the famous traveler, and he shared most of the stories of his travels and journey.

Enjoyment and Information

The people of France and Europe must visit this interesting festival to get the idea of the culture of Morocco. The travelers especially young people will love to get the information about other nations’ travelers so that they can move all over the globe easily. It is also beneficial for the peace of travelers and ambassadors. Promoting the harmony, peace and tolerance among worldwide cultures is another aim of the Ibn Battuta Festival.

Bottom Lines

By ending the details of the Ibn Battuta Festival, it can be said that this festival is not for specific people, but everyone can enjoy it. So don’t forget to experience one of the best events in Morocco this year!

Mohamed Dekkak

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The Moroccan Association of Ibn Battuta in Morocco is organizing a versatile cultural and travel event to celebrate the vibrant culture of Morocco. The International Festival of Ibn Battuta will take place on 9^th of November, 2017 in a beautiful city of Tangier. The major aim of this association is to connect the visions of premodern explorers to the modern travelers.  In doing so, this association celebrates and promote the travel story of the most famous traveler, Ibn Battuta. This event promotes the contributions of legendary Ibn Battuta through an art exhibition, carnival, travel movies, theatrical plays and much more. But the question that arises in the mind of every person is that why this event is celebrated particularly in Tangier? Well, this article will enlighten you about the actual reason for celebrating this festival in Tangier.

Birthplace of Ibn Battuta

Most of the people do not know that Tangier is the birthplace of Ibn Battuta. The original name of Ibn Battuta was Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta. The northern part of Tangier was the birthplace of Ibn Battuta.

Beginning of his Journey

Since Tangier is the birthplace of Ibn Battuta, so he started traveling at a very young age of 20 from this place. His goal was to perform Hajj, so he moves to Mecca with this aim in mind. His long and historical journey starts from Tangier. He travels around the world with the aim of understanding and learning from the world. He covers various regions of Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, North and West Africa, etc. He moves the mind of people, so every person considers traveling as a means of understanding the culture or promoting peace amongst various nations. It is one of the reasons for celebrating the International Festival of Ibn Battuta in Tangier.

Celebration of the previous festival

The first Ibn Battuta International Festival was held in this city of Morocco from 24^th to 26 February in 2017. This festival successfully offers amalgamate of live and artistic performances. The activities of the previous festival include music parade, awarding ceremony, musical show, scientific discussion and a dinner at the end. So, the Moroccan Association of Ibn Battuta intends to promote the cultural tradition of Morocco by celebrating another edition of that event.

A melting point

The beautiful city of Tangier has been a home for various international artists and writers. It is a melting point between Europe and Africa and the Kind Mohammed VI consider this city as a prime economic center. The progress on business developments is observable for many years, so it tourism in this place can take the country to the heights of success.

Cultural and Historical influence

Tangier plays a significant role in the history due to its location on the Mediterranean in the northern part of Morocco. It is a 2,500-year-old city, so there is plenty to discover in this place. Due to its historical significance, Tangier is chosen for celebrating the International Festival of Ibn Battuta.

Mohamed Dekkak

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