1. Ibn Battuta
Ibn Battuta started on his travels when he was 20 years old in His main reason to travel was to go on a Hajj, or a Pilgrimage to Mecca, as all good Muslims do. But his traveling went on for about 29 years and he covered about 75,000 miles visiting the equivalent of 44 modern countries which were then mostly under the governments of Muslim leaders of the World of Islam, or "Dar al-Islam".
He met many dangers and had many adventures along the way. He was attacked by bandits, almost drowned in a sinking ship, was almost beheaded by a tyrant ruler, and had a few marriages and lovers and fathered several children on his travels!
Near the end of Ibn Battuta's own life, the Sultan of Morocco insisted that Ibn Battuta dictate the story of his travels to a scholar and today we can read translations of that story called "Rihla - My Travels". Much of it is fascinating, but some of it seems to be made up and even is inaccurate about places we know about. However, it is a valuable and interesting record of places which add to our understanding of the Middle Ages.

2. The Travels of Ibn Battuta
 This is a map of the Muslim World about Ibn Battuta mainly traveled in the area surrounded by the green line - countries with Muslim governments. Beyond that, Muslim traders had already ventured out into China, Indonesia and further, and had established small Muslim communities in more regions of the world. Ibn Battuta would seldom be far from fellow Muslims on his travels, and he would greatly benefit from the charity and hospitality offered to Muslim travelers and pilgrims.

3. Questions
Determine the answer to the following questions. Put the answer of each question into a bulleted point in your graphic organizer.
How extensive were Ibn Battuta’s travels?
Why did Ibn Battuta leave his homeland of North Africa?
If you were a European who read one of Ibn’s stories, how would this change your views of the world?
Locate the thick green line on the map of Ibn Battuta’s travels. On your map, outline the areas of the Muslim world, including North Africa and the East African coast, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia.

4. A depiction of Hamburg, a Hanseatic trading city.
The Hanseatic League
In the 1100’s group of traders and merchants in medieval North German towns joined together to form an association. The league formed because central governments of the medieval period were weak, so there were no navies and no international law regulating trade. As a result, merchants in trading towns needed a way to protect their interests, and banded
together. In order to obtain security, exclusive trading rights, and possibly a monopoly on trades, the towns drew closer together.
By the mid-1300’s, many northern German towns, including Lubeck and Hanburg, were members of the Hanseatic League. Eventually the league was able to monopolize (control) trade in the Baltic and North Seas. It worked to make navigation safer by controlling piracy, building lighthouses, and training sailors.
A depiction of Hamburg, a Hanseatic trading city.

6. Questions
Determine the answer to the following questions. Put the answer of each question into a bulleted point in your graphic organizer.
Why did the merchants band together?
What functions did the League perform?
How might the development of trade associations like the Hanseatic League bring Europe out of the Dark Ages?
Locate the Hanseatic cities on the map. On your map, mark the general location of the cities and the seas that the league controlled (Hint: they are located directly north of the cities)

7. The Portuguese Spice Trade Portuguese trade in China
During the Middle Ages, spices such as pepper and cinnamon were extremely valuable. Spices could be used for many things; such as to preserve and favor meat, in perfumes, and in medicines. Their value prompted many people to risk their lives traveling to Asia to obtain them. When the Ottoman Turks expanded their empire and blocked traders from crossing Eastern Europe and the Middle East into Asia, Europeans looked for new sea routes to the East.
In the early 1400’s, Portugal began to explore Africa to find a direct sea route to Asia and its riches. Prince Henry the Navigator founded a school for navigational studies and expedition planning. From the late 15th century, the Portuguese dominated trade with the Arabs on Africa's east coast. Portuguese explorers eventually rounded the tip of Africa, and established trading posts in Africa, India, Japan, and China. Trade, especially the spice trade, brought great wealth to Portugal.
Portuguese trade in China

8. Portuguese Spice Trade
The map above shows the voyages of Vasco Da Gama, who was able to reach India by sea and gain access to the Spice Islands.

9. Questions
Determine the answer to the following questions. Put the answer of each question into a bulleted point in your graphic organizer.
Why were spices so valuable to Europeans in the Middle Ages?
How was Portugal able to dominate the spice trade?
How did the expansion of trade and finding a water route to Asia help bring an end to the Dark Ages in Europe?
Locate Vasco Da Gama’s route around the tip of Africa on the map and draw it onto your map.

12. Marco Polo
In the 13th century, a young Venetian man named Marco Polo set out with his father and uncle on a great adventure. Following a series of trade routes, they traveled across the vast continent of Asia and became the first Europeans to visit the Chinese capital (modern Beijing). Marco so impressed the reigning emperor of China, Kublai Khan, that he was appointed to the imperial court. For the next 17 years, Marco was sent on missions to many parts of Kublai's sprawling empire. The Polos finally returned to Venice via the sea route. Marco later wrote a book about his experiences, which inspired new generations of explorers to travel to the exotic lands of the East.
The influence of Marco Polo on geographic exploration was enormous and he was also a major influence on Christopher Columbus. Columbus owned a copy of Travels and made annotations in the margins. When he was near death, a priest asked if his stories were true. He replied, "I do not tell half of what I saw because no one would have believed me." Despite the fact that many claim his book to be unreliable, it was a sort of regional geography of Asia for centuries.

13. Marco Polo

14. Marco Polo
Determine the answer to the following questions. Put the answer of each question into a bulleted point in your graphic organizer.
Who was Marco Polo?
What was significant about Marco Polo’s journey to China? What did he accomplish?
How do you think Marco Polo’s journey help bring Europe out of the Dark Ages?
Sketch the journey of Marco Polo on your world map.

15. Trade Fairs and the Growth of Cities
Most trade took place in towns. Peasants from nearby manors traveled to town on fair days, hauling items to trade. Cloth was the most common trade item. Other items included bacon, salt, honey, cheese, wine, leather, dyes, knives and ropes. Such local fairs met all the needs of daily life for a small community. No longer was everything being produced on a self-sufficient manor.
Great fairs were made possible by the guilds which controlled the crafts and trade. A guild was an association of people who worked at the same occupation. It was similar to the “union” of today. In medieval towns, guilds controlled all the wages and prices in their craft. As towns grew, skilled artisans – such as glassmakers, winemakers, tailors – began craft guilds which enforced standards of quality for their products.
By the later Middle Ages, trade was the very lifeblood of the new towns which sprang up at ports, at crossroads and along rivers. People were no longer content with their old feudal existence. Even though they were legally bound to their lord’s manor, many serfs ran away to live within the growing towns and cities. Some of the largest trading cities to develop included Flanders, Genoa, Lisbon, Florence and Constantinople.

16. Trade Fairs and the Growth of Cities

17. Trade Fairs and the Growth of Cities
Determine the answer to the following questions. Put the answer for each question into a bulleted point in your graphic organizer.
What types of products were exchanged at trade fairs?
What is a guild? What purpose did it serve?
How do you think trade fairs and the growth of cities contributed to the end of the Middle Ages?
Locate 3 of the major trading cities on your map. For example, can you find Florence, Genoa, Constantinople, and Lisbon?

18. Italian Trade
Europe change a great deal during the Later Middle Ages.  Towns grew and trade increased along with all types of businesses.   Even after the fall of the Roman Empire some trade with European countries still occurred.  Sometimes manors would trade with one another and Europe still traded with the Byzantine Empire.  The exchanged olive oil and wine from Europe for spices and silk from Asia.  
The Crusades had the affect of reopening some of the trade routes.  During the crusades both men and supplies were carried back and forth from Europe to Palestine.  The Italian cities of Venice, Genoa and Pisa carried on most of this trade.  The Italian ships traveled across the Mediterranean Sea to the Near East and carried back goods that came from as far away as India and China.  From Italy other European traders took the goods and traded them all over Europe.
Of course the Europeans needed something worth while to trade.  At first they only had raw materials to trade.  Soon though, they learned to make products to trade.  They made woolen and silk cloth, metal ware, and leather goods.   The Italian traders not only traded with Europe but they sent their ships around to England and northern Europe from which the Italian ships brought back furs, wood, grain, copper and fish.   Key centers of trade developed in the city-states of Milan, Florence and Venice.

19. Italian Trade

20. Describe the impact the Crusades had on trade.
Italian Trade
Determine the answer to the following questions. Put the answer of each question into a bulleted point in your graphic organizer.
Describe the impact the Crusades had on trade.
What product were traded to and from the Italian city-states?
Identify the key Italian city-states on your world map.
How did the Italian trade help pull Europe out of the Middle Ages?