摘要
Ibn Batuta＇s book The Rihla gives us a unique insight into life of a 14th C travelling scholar in the golden age of Dar AI Islam （the world of Islam）. This paper is a reflection on Ibn Battuta focusing on three curious things we don＇t know about him. First, we don＇t know what he looks like--what does this tell us about visual culture, ethnicity and the idea of self-image in 14th Century. Second, we don＇t know if he really went to China--if not why would this section be included？ Third, we don＇t know how his story became lost to history, which it certainly was for close to 400 years--what does this tell us about the man, the book, it＇s intended audience and the changes happening within Dar AI Islam at that time.
