A rare manuscript chronicling the journey of medieval Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta sold for nearly one million dirhams at the 35th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. The document, one of only seven known complete or incomplete copies of the Rihla—the written accounts of Ibn Battuta’s extensive travels—offers valuable insights into the regions now comprising Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and the wider Gulf.

The manuscript was presented by Peter Harrington, a rare book dealer based in London, and details Ibn Battuta’s travels from 1325 to 1333. It includes some of the earliest surviving firsthand descriptions of key locations such as Nizwa, Qalhat, Kalba, and Khorfakkan. The sale price reflects the document’s rarity, age, and considerable historical importance, particularly as an early record of the Hajj pilgrimage and the Gulf during the medieval period.

Born in Tangier in 1304, Ibn Battuta is noted for journeying an estimated 120,000 kilometers over three decades, traversing much of the Islamic world and reaching as far as China and Sumatra. His travels covered a broader distance than those of his contemporary Marco Polo. The manuscript begins with Ibn Battuta’s departure from Tangier and narrates his route through key cities including Cairo, Damascus, Madinah, and Makkah, before moving on to Iraq, Persia, the Red Sea, East Africa, the Gulf region, Anatolia, and Central Asia. The account concludes in Neyshabur, located in present-day Iran.

Of particular scholarly interest is Ibn Battuta’s detailed description of the Hajj pilgrimage, identified as one of the three primary medieval firsthand records of the event along with those of Nasir Khusraw and Ibn Jubayr. The manuscript also holds special significance for Gulf history, as it provides one of the earliest detailed narratives following the establishment of New Hormuz around 1300.

As a handwritten artifact documenting one of history’s most renowned journeys, the manuscript serves as a vital resource for researchers and collectors focusing on Islamic history, travel literature, and the cultural geography of the medieval world.