My World: A strange traveler...

For the past two years or so, I have involved myself, on and off, researching a subject that is very dear to

me. Ayesha's and my travel locations have been decided, to a large extent, to help me in my amateur

pursuit of this very subject.

I recently posted here a subject entitled, " The Dark Age ".

It so happened that a few days ago, I was looking up various subject matter to add to my research.

During the course of internet surfing, I came to the website of a ' Famous Traveler '. Even more, he is

a photographic icon. A Master Photographer. A household name. I can only wish to be able to take

photographs half as good as he does.

On another website, I learnt that he was a guest speaker at an occasion. Not on Photography, but on

his Travels and Photography.

It is a gathering of the ' Who's Who ' of Travel Photographers.

Here is a direct quote from this, a true master photographer's, website:

"From Homer to Dante, Xuanzang, Marco Polo and Cervantes to Halliburton, to Kerouac, Theroux,

Iyer, writers have taken their readers along on their travels, whether the journey is fictionn, non-fiction,

or a combination of both.".

Further along this famous gentleman cannot but mention the well known quote attributed to St.

Augustine: " The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."

A famous, if not the most famous, travel photographer has, in this short space of writing and posting on his website, rightfully confirmed himself as being a master photographer. That's all.

He has just parroted St. Augustine's quote. He has definitely proven himself to have read less than a

page from the World's Book.

Can you find his ignorance? Conceit, if I might add, as to his knowledge; that rests on the rightfully

excellence of his photographic work. I have alluded to such ignorance in my previous threads.

I would have wished to proceed leisurely. But I need to hurry. I intend to, my God

Willing, shine some light on such ignorance as is on display by this the most famous photographer

and world traveler.

Here is a small beginning :


I shall, too, give the following quote:

" If anyone travels in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of

Paradise..." Prophet Mohammed ( PBUH ).

The operative word is ' Knowledge '. It would appear that our photographer's travels were in pursuit of

photographs and sales. As to knowledge, our photographer's ignorance speaks for itself.

So: at which occasion did Steve McCurry reveal his ignorance and how is that linked to the Piri Reis map?

Ask any traveler worth his salt, Jerome.

Libraries. Some of the best are found in Europe.

Wiki too.

The easiest way would be to read carefully what I wrote in this thread.

Regards.

fahim mohammed said:

Ask any traveler worth his salt, Jerome.

Click to expand...

I was asking you.

Sorry Jerome, I got side tracked today. Missed your post.

A long answer for you:

I asked my 7 year old grand daughter a simple question that she should have been taught in school.

She is an American citizen, by birth. Hey, if certain people can challenge important..very important..

and very respected ( by me too ! ) American citizens to produce birth certificates and question their

credentials..what chance for my grand daughter!! Neither she nor the American gentleman I mention

have the right shade of skin tones, I guess. Anyway, I asked my grand daughter to name some

American Presidents.

Like a flash she started. A girl on fire. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama. Bravo, I

told her. Great men these. Credit to their nation. She offered me some more names which I confess I

was not immediately familiar with.

Now why do I narrate this and not get to the point immediately?

I asked my grand daughter a question which she must have been taught in school. She knew the answers

immediately.

Ask a navigator who discovered America. More than likely, he/she would answer Christopher Columbus.

Ask a school boy who discovered gravity..likely answer Newton.

Ask a medical person who discovered Penicillin or X-rays ( I love France too !! ).

Ask someone interested in world travel, someone that calls himself/herself a world traveller, who the

most famous traveller was..the answer should be Abu Abdullah Mohammed Ibn Batuta.

Why? He covered more distance than all the travelers up until steam engines were started to be used

for travel.

Ibn Batuta's travels covered a distance of around 120,000 Kms. Our knowledge of China during that

time relies heavily on his memoirs. He traveled for over 30 years. From Africa, Spain across Asia and

to China.

The gentleman you refer to might be a good photographer, but not a traveler in the sense of Ibn Batuta.

He mentions Marco Polo, who covered less distances than did Ibn Batuta. If it is an omission, then

it is an omission that I have previously alluded to. Omissions to de-emphasize or relegate to a minor

category, Muslim accomplishments.

If it is a lack of knowledge, then it is a lack of education. Ignorance. Dark Age must still be around some

people. Like I said literacy and knowledge are two different beasts. A good photographer does not

necessarily make a knowledgeable human.

By the way the 'Re'is' , of the map fame , you mention is not a part of the cartographer's name. It is a

title. Means an Admiral. No relationship to Ibn Batuta. Two different persons, nationalities and living in

different time periods.

Of course everyone knows that.

p.s a much more detailed account of Ibn Batuta's travels shall be available on my website. One can read

about him and about books such as the Rihla and the Risalah. With photographs. Respectful

of copyrights. As they belong to me or my wife.. the photographs and the posts. Other maps and /or

photographs are those that are in the public domain. Proper attribution shall be provided where

necessary. If I was famous, I would check my spelling multiple times before I post on a website. Since I

am not I won't. And neither shall I check my grammar!

Now I understand better what your travels were about. Thank you.