The Travels of Ibn Battuta

Ibn Battuta was an Islamic traveller, born in Morocco, who is known for his travels and excursions that lasted for a period of nearly 30 years and covered almost the entirety of the known Islamic world and beyond, a distance readily surpassing that of his predecessors and his near-contemporary Marco Polo - said Wikipedia. Hehe.

Now, how do we honor a great explorer and inspiring scholar like Ibn Battuta? Here in Dubai, they built a shopping mall, no, make it the world's largest themed shopping mall, called Ibn Battuta Mall that is uniquely designed to celebrate his travels. I think it's an awesome idea - you can learn about some of the countries visited by Ibn Battuta while browsing for new clothes, shoes or handbags.

The way they designed each wing to portray the country is really amazing that you'd feel like you're actually there, travelling together with Mr. Battuta. Plus you get to give a cool answer when people call you in the mall, like; "Where are you right now?" "Oh, I'm just cruising around Andalusia." Or "I'm now walking through the streets of Tunisia." Macam gempak lah konon kan hahah!

Since this place is like a museum in a mall, it is perfect for a couple like us who have different interests; he likes to learn about the history and origin of things, while she likes to do what every other woman likes to do - shopping. So while he entertains himself with some fun facts about how ancient people in Egypt observed the motion of stars, she shops for souvenirs and other things she doesn't really need. And then later, he provides her with a summary of all the new things he learned. It's a win-win-win situation. And it's among the reasons why this is my favorite mall here so far =)