Henry Day

Henry Day is writing his doctoral dissertation on Lucan, Seneca and the sublime at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was only recently an intern at the LRB.

Rigmaroles: Ibn Battutah’s travels

Henry Day, 15 December 2005

In 1346, after a four-month voyage from Sumatra, Ibn Battutah reached China. A devout Muslim, he was now far beyond the boundaries of the Dar al-Islam and the sway of the sharia, and was feeling nervous: ‘China, for all its magnificence, did not please me. I was deeply depressed by the prevalence of infidelity, and whenever I left my lodging I saw many offensive things which distressed...

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