The Mamluks Summary and Analysis

Alexandria is a major port city that greatly impresses Ibn Battuta. It is linked to the Nile River by a canal, in an important region of Egypt that is ruled at this time by the Turkish-speaking Mamluks. The Mamluks are a warrior caste of people who have successfully repelled the marauding Mongol fighters that have overrun other parts of the Middle East. The Mamluks have established a solid government and it is a mostly peaceful time in this important cultural and commercial area.

Ibn Battuta spends several weeks in Alexandria, and describes in the Rihla the several important figures he meets there. At one point, Dunn explains, he visits a Sufi mystic who foretells his future. The mystic tells Ibn Battuta that he is destined to travel widely. Rather than go straight to Cairo, the most important city in...