While on holiday in Canada, a huge sign in front of the Ontario Science Center caught my attention. It was an advertisement for the film “Journey to Mecca in the footsteps of Ibn Battuta” produced by the National Geographic Society in collaboration with King Abdulaziz Center and King Faisal foundation. The story is of a young scholar Ibn Battuta who leaves Tangier in 1325 on an epic journey to Makkah, some 3,000 miles to the east, not knowing whether he will ever even see his parents again. During his journey, he is attacked by bandits, dehydrated by thirst and rescued by Bedouins on his 8,000 kilometer and 18 month-long journey. By the time he returned 29 years later, he had traveled the world from West Africa, Spain and India to China and the Maldives, covering some 75,000 miles and three times further than Marco Polo. At the instigation of the Sultan of Morocco, Ibn Battuta dictated his reminiscences, which became one of the world's most famous travel books, The Rihla. The documentary has been produced as an IMAX film so the center was projecting it on IMAX screens. A big hit with audiences, the film has been showing for the past six months at the center and according to the center's employees, it has been viewed by thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims alike. In fact, due to popular demand, screening has been extended to Sept. 2. It was an incredible experience to both see a large number of non Muslims in the theater, and watch a film that was not just projected on one flat screen, but rather, on a number of screens around the hall, providing a curved and three dimensional viewing experience. As a result, everything felt dramatic and strangely surreal. The film is based on the journey of the famous Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta (played by Chems Eddine Zinoun), the famed 14th century Moroccan traveler. He dreamed of performing the Haj at the age of 28 and set off on his pilgrimage. On departure, his father gave him a bag of money, his mother provided him with the Ihram and his friend gave him a letter to take to a sheikh in Cairo for assistance. He left for his pilgrimage through a barren desert, alone on horse. Later, he was attacked by bandits whose leader took away his money but when he saw Battuta's Ihram, he knew that he was a pilgrim. This made the leader feel ashamed of himself and he decided to escort Battuta to Egypt. On arrival in Egypt, Battuta took his friend's letter to the sheikh who told him that based on the Hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) Battuta was “to seek knowledge even if he had to go to far away places.” Battuta then wanted to continue his journey by sea but an ongoing naval war on that particular route meant that he had to continue his journey through Damascus. He joined a caravan of 10,000 fellow pilgrims and stayed with them for the 18 month-long journey. Battuta first arrived at Madinah from where he traveled to Makkah to perform Haj. In the documentary, the simultaneous screening of scenes of historic and contemporary provided an incredible angle about the timeless beauty of Haj. Ibn Battuta would not return home for almost 30 years, reaching over 40 countries and revisiting Makkah five more times to perform the Haj. He would travel three times farther then Marco Polo. His legacy is one of the greatest travel journals ever recorded. A crater on the moon is named in his honour. Filmed in Saudi Arabia and Morocco in both English and Arabic, with background Berber, the documentary is book-ended by a close-up look at the contemporary Haj, the pilgrimage to Makkah that draws three million Muslims from around the world every year. - SGReviews:“Beautifully wrought film... meticulously researched ...everyone, no matter their faith, should see it”. Sun Media, Canada “A powerful, larger than life cinematic experience that has the power to educate both young and old. Its message of tolerance and respect will resonate strongly with audiences. “ Trade Arabia, UAE “...dramatic desert landscapes ... unprecedented access to the Great Mosque ... breathtaking aerial views ... a cosmic experience” The Detroit Free Press ...Breathtaking...Beautiful, inspiring (story) with many visual delights...Highly recommended. Nick Meyer
