Political, religious, scientific, social and economic life in Anatolian cities from the perspective of İbn Battuta

Abu Abdullah Şemsüddîn (Bedrüddîn) Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Levâtî et-Tancî, who is known as Ibn Battuta is considered to be the greatest Muslim traveller of the Middle Ages, met with the rulers of the region in his visit to the Anatolian lands in 1333 which lasted about a year. He established close relations with the public and made valuable findings about the political, religious, moral, scientific, social and economic life of the region. In his book Seyahatnâme, the traveller has mentioned in a surprisingly detailed way many valuable information from the physical and geographical structure of Anatolia, from the climatic conditions, from the locations of the cities to the production areas, from the ethnic structure of society, from beliefs, customs and traditions to the professional life of the individuals and from their daily lives. The fact that there are very few similar sources about the Anatolia of 14th century increases the importance of this information shared by the author with us. The Islamic geography of Anatolia became one of the most important events in both Turkish and Islamic history. The geography of Anatolia became a land of Islam as a result of a difficult process that started with the first conquests in the 11th century. The fact that Ibn Battûta's journey took place during the maturation period of this process made his impressions extremely interesting and valuable. Considering the possibilities of the period in which he lived, İbn Battûta accomplished a very difficult job and shared valuable information with us in terms of history. The fact that the traveller based his attention on people mostly on his journeys by concentrating his attention on people more, rendered the information he gave surpassingly different and reliable. Ibn Battûta's experience in the 14th century as a Muslim of Moroccan origin in Anatolia is of great importance for the researchers studying the history of Turkey and Anatolia. This information will help us understand how Turks settled and gained strength in this region, how Anatolia has become an Islamic home, and what lies behind our cultural values.