Prior to the modern era, very few people traveled anywhere. It was rare for anyone to travel more than about 20 miles from where they were born.

However, there were a few people who managed to travel quite extensively.

In particular, there was one man in the 14th century who might have

traveled more than any other person up to that point in history. In fact, he was

better traveled than most people even alive today. Learn more about Ibn Batuta and his extensive journeys around the known world on this

episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Book your ticket to happiness with Sun Express Airlines. There's a lot that we know about the life of Ibn Batuta, but one of the things we know very little is about his upbringing.

We know that he was born a Berber, who was born in the city of Tanger's and what is today Morocco in 1304. He came from a family of

Islamic legal scholars and his father served as a judge known as a katty. Based on his future

life he must have received an extensive education in the Maliki School of Islamic

law. Before I get too much further into the story I should explain his name. For the

rest of the episode I'll be calling him Ibn Batuda. However his full name was much longer and much more complicated.

His full name during his life would probably have been Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibin

Batuta. In Arabic, Iben simply means son of and Abu means father of. And it's common for a child

to be named Abu when they are born even if they don't have children on the assumption

that they will be the name of their firstborn son.

His complete full name would have been Shams Eldin Abu Abdullah, Muhammad, Ibn Abdullah,

Ibn Abdullah, Ibn Ibrahim, Ibn Muhammad, Ibn Yussif Elati, El Tange, Ibin Batuta.

And I'll not be saying that again.

The real story of Ibin Batuta starts when he was 21 years old.

As a well-educated young man from reasonably well-off family, he said when he set off

set off to conduct the Haj in June of 1325, which is the pilgrimage

to Mecca which all Muslims are supposed to make at least once in their life

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