Who was Ibn Battuta?

Ibn Battuta (24 February 1304 – 1368/1369) was a Moorish Maghrebi scholar and explorer who travelled extensively in the lands of Afro-Eurasia, largely in the lands of 'Dar al-Islam' (area of the world under the rule of Islam, literally, "the home of Islam.") travelling more than any other explorer in pre-modern history, totalling around 117,000 km (73,000 mi), surpassing Zheng He with about 50,000 km (31,000 mi) and Marco Polo with 24,000 km (15,000 mi).

Over a period of thirty years, Ibn Battuta visited most of southern Eurasia, including Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, China, and the Iberian Peninsula. Near the end of his life, he dictated an account of his journeys, titled 'A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling', but commonly known as 'The Rihla'.

The largest themed mall in Dubai, UAE, the Ibn Battuta Mall is named for him and features both areas designed to recreate the exotic lands he visited on his travels and statuary tableaus depicting scenes from his life history.