What do Uber-Capitalism and Ibn Battuta have in common?

By Nesreen | March 16th, 2008 | No Comments

Encounters writer Tim Mackintosh-Smith has the answer in the March-April edition of Saudi Aramco World. Mackintosh-Smith has written prolifically about Ibn Battuta, who was an Arab-Berber explorer whose own published travel accounts are still treasured throughout the Arab world. Ibn Battuta was a contemporary of Marco Polo, but of course lesser known in the West.

Mackintosh-Smith has helped give Ibn Battuta a boost in contemporary culture by not only writing about the famed explorer, but following the paths of his travels. Now, Dubai’s hyper-capitalist culture may be next in line in feeding the Ibn Battuta revival. As Mackintosh-Smith writes, Dubai’s Ibn Battuta mall features panel displays of the great explorer’s travels. Visitors can also participate in an interactive game about Ibn Battuta’s adventures.

As an at side, I happened to be studying in Tangier, Morocco a couple of summers ago. Tangier is the birthplace of Ibn Battuta and this breezy Mediterranean city still enjoys touting its link to its beloved explorer. Ibn Battuta’s name is used all over the city on storefronts and restaurants. Tangier, by the way, was where those great scenes from the Arab world were filmed in the latest Bourne Identity film Bourne Ultimatum. Maybe Tangier has Dubai, Tim Mackintosh-Smith, and finally, Ibn Battuta himself to thank for its newfound celebrity.