The wonders of Damascus

When people think of the islamic world, the first cities that come to mind are Mecca and Medina, and well that sentiment is perfectly justified, the whole of the Middle East has many such cities, all completely awe-inspiring. Over the past month, I have had the privilege of exploring Damascus, whose religious accomplishments are, to my knowledge, unparalleled. One such example of this is both the variety and quantity of religious endowments available to those in need. So far I have heard say of endowments for travel, the needy, those unable to afford a dowry, and many more.

This generosity is in keeping with the customs of Islam, of course, but even so, throughout my travel I have never encountered such Generosity as is present here. If I could, I would seriously consider making a home of this place. However, as a traveller, I have other obligations, and I have no plans to do so just yet. I leave Damascus with a deep respect of its people and their generosity, and I only hope to experience it elsewhere. -Ibn Battuta, 1329

(mis)Adventures in Aydhab

Today I fled the city of Aydhab, fearing for my life. I had originally planned to travel through on my first Hajj, but at the time of my passing, the city was in the midst of a violent rebellion, and I had the misfortune of being in the crossfire. I had planned on using the cities port to obtain passage across the Red Sea, but with the ongoing warfare, there was no chance of that. Instead I was able to obtain provisions and return to Qus by camel.

As a traveller, I always have unique experiences on the road, and I had a quite notable one last night. We had stopped to bed down in Humaythria, a minuscule hovel entirely berefit of amenities for the passing traveller. As I bed down in my tent, a pack of Hyenas tore into camp at breakneck speed, delighting in our hapless efforts to apprehend them. In addition to making a fool of myself, however, the repulsive animals made off with all of my tea and dates. I now must spend the next few weeks without them. -Ibn Battuta, July 1326