Comparing Ibn Battuta And Marco Polo s Journey Through...

Casey Malosh Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo Paper November 24, 2015 Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo were both explorers in the 13th Century. Battuta was a Muslim who explored in India, East Africa, the Middle East, parts of Russia and areas surrounding Constantinople (in the excerpt we read). Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant who traveled over land from Venice for half of his journey from Acre to Beijing. From Beijing he traveled the South China Sea, through the Indian Ocean, to the Arabic Sea and continuing his journey on land from Ormuz to Venice. The passage we were given to read concentrated on Marco Polo’s journey through Persia and Southwest Asia. While visiting Zafari, Ibn Battuta was shown great hospitality by two shakihs. Abu’l-‘Abbas Ahmad and Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad, sons of the shaikh Abu Bakr. They were both men of great benevolence. When they washed their hands after a meal, Abu’l-‘Abbas, took that water in which they washed, drank some of it, and sent the servant with the rest of it to his wives and children, and they drank it as well. This is what they do with all visitors to them in whom they perceived indications of goodness. Battuta was also entertained by Abu Hashim al-Zabidi, who personally served and washed his hands, not delegating it to anyone else. (Gibb, 385-386) During Battuta’s visit in Constantinople he had a chance meeting with the ex-King of Constantinople who renounced his throne and became a monk. Battuta seemed in awe of this former