Ibn Battuta The Explorer Season 1, Episode 4: Episode 4

1

Episode 1

We are introduced to Ibn Battuta, the country and region he was brought up in, his childhood, his evident passion for exploration since his youth, and his distinguished character, calmness and his interest in nature and seeking knowledge. We also observe the consistent dreams he had that pushed him to travel, and we delve into the opinions of his parents regarding this matter.

10 min

2

Episode 2

After several attempts, Ibn Battuta convinces his parents to allow him to travel. His journey begins, with his first trip taking him away from his hometown of Tangier to Tlemcen, and there he would meet a judge who was fond of Ibn Battuta’s passion for adventure and exploration. They form a convoy and travel across the desert, with hardships and trials awaiting them along the way.

10 min

3

Episode 3

The Judge of Tlemcen is bitten by a poisonous snake and dies. This incident leaves a mark on Ibn Battuta’s emotional and mental wellbeing. After returning to Tlemcen to return the body of the Judge to his family, he decides to embark on his journey alone to avoid harm befalling anyone accompanying him. He travels long days and nights and reaches the city of Constantine.

10 min

4

Episode 4

Ibn Battuta becomes meets the governor of Constantine who happens to be his father’s friend. The governor hosts Ibn Battuta in his palace and prepares supplies and servants to accompany him on his upcoming destination; Tunisia. Ibn Battuta bids his companions farewell, as he joins a caravan of merchants to complete his journey where an unexpected surprise awaits him.

10 min

5

Episode 5

In this episode, Ibn Battuta uncovers a ploy that is brewing against the chief of the merchants and the caravan that he is accompanying on his trip, where there would be an attempt to murder all of those in the caravan and steal their products. He reveals his findings to the chief and sets a plan to thwart the attack.

10 min

6

Episode 6

Ibn Battuta arrives to the gates of Alexandria along with the caravan. Here the chief of the merchants shows his gratitude to Ibn Battuta for saving the caravan and part ways. Ibn Battuta, carrying his satchel and manuscripts, makes his way through the city of Alexandria to explore it and meet its people.

10 min

7

Episode 7

Some young men are caught in the midst of trouble. One of them is caught and hung from a tall pillar when Ibn Battuta saves him. The young man then hosts Ibn Battuta in his home and tells the story of the pillar he was stuck on, and how it was dedicated to one of Rome’s emperors. At the end of the episode, Ibn Battuta discovers that the pouch that contained his money had gone missing.

10 min

8

Episode 8

Ibn Battuta tries to find his money and returns to search for the young men who hosted him. He is surprised to learn that they had left the city. Ibn Battuta recalls an incident where he bumped into someone at the gates of the cemetery and during his search he hears an announcement by one of the prince’s soldiers asking for workers to aid with construction in Prince Salahuddin’s house.

10 min

9

Episode 9

The Prince selects Ibn Battuta to work alongside a group of young men. The task he starts off with his breaking rocks, which causes his hands to due to the strenuous labour. Ibn Battuta returns and meets the chief of the merchants and the prince. The chief tells the ruler about how Ibn Battuta saved him and his caravan.

10 min

10

Episode 10

Ibn Battuta waits out a battle for three nights. The aftermath of the battle leads to the destruction of all the ships at the port. Ibn Battuta remaps his course of travel and returns to Egypt, then heads to Damascus, and through it he entered Gaza, where he was eager to visit the library built by al-Zahir Baybars.

10 min

11

Episode 11

Learning of Nawara’s predicament, Ibn Battuta attempts to help save her father. They try to meet the Sultan’s demands by finding the elixir. They search Abu Yakob’s room and the well that Nawara discarded Abu Yakob’s belongings in. They find a Latin manuscript and head to Beirut to have it translated. There, they meet an artist who helps them sketch out what Abu Yakob looks like.

10 min

12

Episode 12

They move on to the Beqaa valleys and seek out its chief to help find Abu Yakob. The chief recognises Abu Yakob, but by a different name and claims that he died from an evil curse. When they go to visit his residence, a demonic voice urges them to find and return the missing treasures. They find the elixir but need to find the merchant who has the treasures to restore peace and end the curse.

10 min

13

Episode 13

Along with the chief and Nawara, Ibn Battuta captures the thieving merchant. They retrieve the missing treasure and obtain the elixir, eliminating the curse. They head back towards the Sultan and reveal their findings to him. He is pleased, and releases Nawara’s father and rewards both her and Ibn Battuta.

10 min

14

Episode 14

Abu Nawara, Ibn Battuta, and Nawara strategise a plan with the blessings of the Sultan to revive the city from its state of despair. They decide to bring silk worms into the city to establish a new industry and aid in economic growth, while also planning a festival (Jasmine Festival) to boost the townspeople’s morale.

10 min

15

Episode 15

Ibn Battuta and Nawara sterilise the city’s water, spread jasmines and invitations to the people of the city to join them in the festival. The festival takes place with merchants and musicians coming from all over to the city. The city celebrates and Abu Nawara teaches the people how to nurture silk worms in an effort to make the city’s economy thrive.

10 min

16

Episode 16

Ibn Battuta bids Nawara farewell. Before he goes her father gifts him an Astrolabe to aid in his journey. Ibn Battuta meets a merchant and trades his horse for a camel and heads to the desert despite the warnings of a heat wave. He becomes delirious with dehydration and sees mirages. He ends up stumbling upon the Tabuk Oasis and finds a man that claims he will aid Ibn Battuta in reaching Mecca.

10 min

17

Episode 17

At Tabouk Oasis, the man helps him reach Mecca. He is met with festive convoys and kind locals. During his walk around the town he runs into a group of boys that are arguing about their uncle’s horse that went missing. Ibn Battuta helps the boys to devise a plan to find their missing horse.

10 min

18

Episode 18

One of the boys decides to figure out a way to get work in the stable the horse was originally obtained from. He gains knowledge of the stables location and decides to head there whilst Ibn Battuta remains in town to distract the uncle. The boys learn a valuable lesson of how arguing doesn’t solve problems and start to work together to find the location of the stable.

10 min

19

Episode 19

The boys reach the stable, while Ibn Battuta remains in the city finding his way around with the uncle that he is attempting to distract. The boys find and retrieve the horse and thank Ibn Battuta for helping them learn how to work together. They treat him to salted watermelon but warn him that it might make him sleepy.

10 min

20

Episode 20

Ibn Battuta falls asleep after consuming the watermelon and sees something similar to a vision, and it indicates to him the next steps of his journey, finding the People of the Pearls. The uncle (Al Aziz) gives Ibn Battuta directions and he heads off to the Bashiq port.

10 min

21

Episode 21

At Bashiq port, Ibn Battuta learns that the commander had been ordered by the Sultan to arrest all the pearl gatherers and fisherman. Ibn Battuta and the head pearl gatherer want to save the town but have very different approaches. Ibn Battuta wants a peaceful solution; the headman seeks a violent means of dethroning the Sultan. Ibn Battuta tries to find the middle ground.

10 min

22

Episode 22

Ibn Battuta still tries to discourage using violence, but the headman contacts a weapon merchant and arranges a deal. The Sultan discovers that the headman is trying to stir things up and orders the commander to get rid of him and those with him. The commander agrees but secretly plans to eliminate the Sultan himself because of the Sultan’s tyranny.

10 min

23

Episode 23

A band of thieves hijack Ibn Battuta and the headman. After discussing the reasons behind needing the weapons, the thieves sympathize with them and their leader has the group join Ibn Battuta and the headman’s cause. They devise a plan to infiltrate the palace to get to the Sultan. Meanwhile, the Sultan gives the commander 24 hours to capture the headman or face being imprisoned himself.

10 min

24

Episode 24

The Commander goes to the Sultan’s room to poison the Sultan’s water. Ibn Battuta finds out, stops him and then captures him. The Commander and the headman recall their past and contemplate the situation they find themselves in. We find out that the commander began working for the Sultan in an attempt to save his father, after the Sultan imprisoned his father and threatened to execute him.

10 min

25

Episode 25

Ibn Battuta tries to find a way to get rid of the Sultan without having to kill him. The headman suggests a a compromise of having the Sultan imprisoned and to serve the poor people of La’ar. The Commander meets with the warden to further plan their coup.

10 min

26

Episode 26

The coup goes through and the Sultan is stripped of his power. Ibn Battuta and Sinar learn how to gather pearls and each move on to go back to their respective homes, knowing that they played a role in saving a town without any bloodshed.

10 min

27

Episode 27

Ibn Battuta heads back to the oasis and gifts the man who helped him, a pearl. He learns that he has contracted a deadly disease from mosquitoes he encountered on his way to the Badour Oasis. Unless he finds a flower that could cure him, he could die. He needs to take it to a doctor named Younes al Mesri in Sinai, so he heads off to the Hyena Valleys to find the flower.

10 min

28

Episode 28

On his way to the Hyena Valley he gets stopped by thieves and while in their prison he meets a man who tells Ibn Battuta of his illness and finds out that the thieves not only stole his money but will sell them off as slaves in the neighbouring town.

10 min

29

Episode 29

Before being auctioned off, Ibn Battuta and the man he was with (Sulieman) both escape as they set a fire as a distraction. With the thieves apprehended, Ibn Battuta and Suleiman make their way to the neighbouring village where they help a woman and her sick mother by finding medicine for them. They are offered shelter in their residence for the evening.

10 min

30

Episode 30

Ibn Battuta and Suleiman are sprayed down with a scent that acts as a hyena repellent. When they reach the valley, they are approached by hyenas but are saved by the hyena repellent. They find the flower they need in a cave, but is guarded by a snake, and when the snake begins to approach Ibn Battuta, his illness begins to set in and his body begins to get paralyzed.

10 min