Ibn Battuta Award for Travel Literature

The Ibn Battuta Award for Travel Literature is a literary award, awarded annually since 2003. The award is presented annually by the Arab Center for Geographical Literature - Irtiyad Al Afak, in Abu Dhabi and London, "to recognize the best published and written works in travel literature." The award aims to encourage research, writing, and investigation in travel literature.^[1][2]

This award bears the name of Ibn Battuta, the famous Moroccan traveler, historian, judge, and jurist who was dubbed the "Prince of Muslim Travelers." This award, which bears his name, honors and commemorates him. It was established in 2003 under the patronage of Emirati poet Mohammed Ahmed Khalifa Al Suwaidi. Syrian poet Nouri Al Jarrah, director of the Arab Center for Geographical Literature, oversees the organization and distribution of these annual awards. These awards serve as a means of encouraging writers and those interested in this genre to pursue investigative, research, and authorial projects in geographical literature, or in travel literature.