The King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh has acquired a rare 1829 copy of the first printed English translation of Ibn Battuta's travels, a 294-page work by British Orientalist Samuel Lee from an abridged manuscript at Cambridge University that features extensive historical and geographical commentaries and references to classical Arabic texts, SPA reported.
Written by Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi in 1355 CE under the commission of Sultan Abu Inan al-Marini, the original travelogue details Ibn Battuta’s 30-year journey across Africa, the Middle East, Andalusia, and Asia. Dubbed the "Prince of Muslim Travelers," his account has since been translated into numerous languages, with this acquisition highlighting early Western scholarly engagement with Islamic heritage.
