About

My Travels

My studies, work, and other travels have taken me from Syria to the Congo, Sierra Leone to Germany, and most notably to North Africa, including seven years in Algeria. That’s where I fell in love with a country and with my wife, Nina.

In Algeria I also became a well known media personality, translated the memoirs of a famed freedom fighter, hosted a reality TV show, and much more. I did my best to distill what I learned there into my book, The Algerian Dream, published in 2021.

The Name

Ibn Battuta was a great North African traveler and the inspiration for this blog. Following his example, I aim to go where my curiosity takes me and bring the stories of those places and their inhabitants to life through my writing.

In Arabic, ibn means "son of", and is traditionally used to recount one's lineage. So, "Ibn Ibn Battuta" could be translated as "the son of Ibn Battuta."

For more information about Ibn Battuta's life, see Who Was Ibn Battuta?

The Photos

Since 2013, I have taken most of the photographs on this blog with antique Rolleicord and Rolleiflex cameras.

Except where explicitly noted, all the text, images, videos, and other content on the site is my original work, all rights reserved. (In non-commercial works, attribute when quoting. To use in any commercial work, contact me first.)