{"title":"Aḥmad Ibn Faḍlān","description":"Aḥmad ibn Faḍlān (Author)","products":[{"product_id":"mission-to-the-volga-paperback","title":"Mission to the Volga - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe earliest surviving instance of sustained first-person travel narrative in Arabic\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eMission to the Volga \u003c\/i\u003eis a pioneering text of peerless historical and literary value. In its pages, we move north on a diplomatic mission from Baghdad to the upper reaches of the Volga River in what is now central Russia. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this colorful documentary from the tenth century, the enigmatic Ibn Fadlan relates his experiences as part of an embassy sent by Caliph al-Muqtadir to deliver political and religious instruction to the recently-converted King of the Bulghars. During eleven months of grueling travel, Ibn Fadlan records the marvels he witnesses on his journey, including an aurora borealis and the white nights of the North. Crucially, he offers a description of the Viking Rus, including their customs, clothing, body painting, and a striking account of a ship funeral. Together, these anecdotes illuminate a vibrant world of diversity during the heyday of the Abbasid Empire, narrated with as much curiosity and zeal as they were perceived by its observant beholder. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAn English-only edition.","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51367073513695,"sku":"9781479899890","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/4Cp8Ll1jtz9781479899890.webp?v=1789102311"},{"product_id":"ibn-fadlans-journey-to-russia-a-tenth-century-traveler-from-baghad-to-the-volga-river-paperback","title":"Ibn Fadlan's Journey to Russia: A Tenth-Century Traveler from Baghad to the Volga River - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is the first English translation of the famous Risala, letters by the tenth-century traveler Ibn Fadlan, one of the great medieval travelers in world history, akin to Ibn Battuta. Ibn Fadlan was an Arab missionary sent by the Caliph in Baghdad to the king of the Bulghars. He journeyed from Baghdad to Bukhara in Central Asia and then continued across the desert to the town of Bulghar, near present Kazan. He describes the tribes he met on his way and gives an account of their customs. His is the earliest account of a meeting with the Vikings, called Rus, who had reached the Volga River from Sweden. His detailed description of the Rus, or Rusiya as he calls them, has produced much discussion about their origins, sexual moral standards, customs, treatment of slaves and women, burial traditions, and trading habits. The story of his travels has fascinated scholars and even prompted Michael Crichton to write the popular novel Eaters of the Dead, which was made into a film entitled The 13th Warrior.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51367410925791,"sku":"9781558763661","price":35.93,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/yWbSc7lzy29781558763661.webp?v=1789106232"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/a%e1%b8%a5mad-ibn-fa%e1%b8%8dlan.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}