[clarification needed] Al-Harawi travelled the Islamic world and died in Aleppo, Syria in a fort built for him.
Ibn Khallikan noted: "There was neither sea nor land, plain nor mountain, to which access could be obtained, which he had not seen; and in every place to which he went, he wrote his name upon the walls, as I myself have observed in all the cities which I visited, and their number is certainly very great.
He asked that the following epitaph be written on his tombstone: "Lived as a stranger, died a loner, no friend to eulogize him, no beloved to weep over him, no family to visit him, no brothers to visit his grave, no offspring to call on him, no wife to mourn over him, I have trod where no one has, walked into towns, travelled the high seas, seen many ruins, travelled to many cities, lived among people, I did not meet a true friend, or found agreement from a comrade, so whoever reads this inscription let him not be bedazzled by anyone."
Ibn al-Wardi mentioned that he dabbled in natural magic (legerdemain and phantasmagoria), talisman and sleight of hand.
Saladin's son was fond of him and had great regard for him and built a fort for him in Aleppo.