What did Ibn Battuta see in Cairo?
Ibn Battuta called Cairo the mother of cities. His account of al-Azhar, the Nile, the markets, and the scholars of Egypt captures the golden age of Mamluk Islam.
10 passages from 4 books in the library
Ibn Battuta called Cairo the "mother of cities," describing in his Riḥlah the Nile, its flanking villages, farms, orchards, and markets, alongside the scholars and rulers of Mamluk Egypt. He records the parades through Cairo and old Cairo (Misr), the travel permits required to move between Egypt and the Levant, and a devastating plague whose death toll in Cairo reached two thousand a day. His account captures the golden age of Mamluk Islam.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 4 books by Ibn Battuta and Ibn Kathir — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
More on Ibn Battuta →
· Provenance →
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"The mamal, along with everyone mentioned, parades through Cairo and Misr-old Cairo,"
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"No one is allowed to travel to the Levant without a permit from Egypt, or to Egypt without a permit"
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"their plight after the death toll had reached 2,000 per day. In Cairo in Egypt, it had reached"
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"and descended the Nile, for the current was high, reaching Egypt after eight days from Qus."
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
More on Ibn Battuta →
· Provenance →
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"The river is flanked by villages, farms, orchards, and markets, akin to the Nile of Egypt, yet"
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"villages on both the left and right sides, similar to the Nile of Egypt. Its inhabitants"
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"Nile of Egypt, God knows best. He was one of the companions of the righteous scholar"
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"Then to Cairo, where we learned that our master, the commander of the faithful and the supporter of religion, al-Mutawakkil al-Rab al-Alamin Abu Inan, may Allah support him,"
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
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"in Egypt. Ibn Abd al-Hakam noted that from that time, the women of Egypt dominated their men,"
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
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"they neared Egypt, he said, Enter Egypt, Allah willing, safe, as stated by al-Sudi."
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