The Maghrib Summary and Analysis

Islamic law requires all observers to travel to the city of Mecca at least once in their lifetime to perform a series of ceremonies, Dunn explains at the beginning of the chapter, and as an observant Muslim, Ibn Battuta set out on this pilgrimage, called the hajj. From Tangier, pilgrims have the option of traveling by sea or by land, and Ibn Battuta sets out eastward by land, along the North African coast and through the region known as the Maghrib.

While regular caravans of pilgrims set out each year toward Mecca, Ibn Battuta does not join one, Dunn notes, as he leaves Tangier in June, 1325. The pilgrimage is a dangerous one, Dunn explains, not only because of the physical dangers of travel, but also because of unstable political conditions. At this time, the Maghrib region is in a...