Why did Ibn Battuta leave Tangier in 1325?

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Engraving of Ibn Battuta in Egypt, standing on a decorated stone block with another man, overlooking ancient Egyptian columns and palm trees in the background. — Ibn Battuta Ibn Baṭṭūṭah (right) with an Egyptian man in Egypt.

Ibn Battuta left his native town of Tangier in 1325 at the age of 21 primarily to fulfill the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca that is a fundamental religious duty for Muslims.1

In addition to this religious objective, he intended to broaden his education by studying under renowned scholars in Egypt, Syria, and the Hejaz. It was only after he arrived in Egypt that he developed an irresistible passion for travel, leading him to decide to explore as much of the world as possible for its own sake.1