Shams ad-Din Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Luwati at-Tanyi, better known as Ibn Battuta was an important Muslim traveler who was born in the mid 14th century in Morocco; although little is known about him, it is said that he would have traveled longer distances than Marco Polo, Ibn Yuzayy, a Historian to whom Battuta would have told his travels, wrote the Rhila or their chronicles.
In one of these chronicles, he reached Mogadishu and several impressions were recorded. First of all, some customs,such as the one of approaching travelers´ vessels before they arrive to the harbor and offer different services, such as food and hospitality. He found people from Mogadishu generous and welcoming, and described the city as very big, noticing that there was an active trade of sheeps and camels, as there was a big amount of those animals being slaughtered there.
Later in the chornicles, as he was invited to stay in Mogadishu at the Sultan´s home -Bakr ibn Shaikh Umar-, a description of the customs regarding the Sultan´s activities is recorded, particularly in his role as head and leader of the community.
