Volume 1

John Lewis Burckhardt (1784-1817) was a Swiss explorer who is best remembered for his rediscovery of the ancient city of Petra in modern Jordan. In 1809 he was commissioned by the African Association to discover the source of the River Niger. In preparation for this journey, for which he needed to pass as a Muslim, Burckhardt spent two years exploring and studying Arabic and Islamic law in Aleppo, before travelling widely in Arabia and Egypt. These volumes, first published by the African Association in 1829, contain his account of the time he spent in Mecca and Medina: he was the first westerner to give an account of the Hajj pilgrimage. The work provides important and fascinating descriptions of the social, economic and political situation in Mecca and Medina during this period. Volume 1 describes the city of Mecca.

Volume 1

John Lewis Burckhardt (1784-1817) was a Swiss explorer who is best remembered for his rediscovery of the ancient city of Petra, in Jordan. In 1809 he was commissioned by the African Association to discover the source of the River Niger. In preparation for this journey, for which he needed to pass as a Muslim, Burckhardt spent two years exploring and studying Arabic in Aleppo, before travelling widely in Arabia and Egypt. These volumes, first published in 1830, contain Burckhardt's description of Bedouin society and his history of the Wahhabi sect of Islam. He describes the different Bedouin tribes of Arabia and the Middle East and their political allegiances, and recounts in fascinating detail aspects of their society. He also narrates the history of the Wahhabi sect from its founding, and discusses its effect on the contemporary politics of the region. Volume 1 contains his description of the Bedouin.

Volume 2

John Lewis Burckhardt (1784-1817) was a Swiss explorer who is best remembered for his rediscovery of the ancient city of Petra in modern Jordan. In 1809 he was commissioned by the African Association to discover the source of the River Niger. In preparation for this journey, for which he needed to pass as a Muslim, Burckhardt spent two years exploring and studying Arabic and Islamic law in Aleppo, before travelling widely in Arabia and Egypt. These volumes, first published by the African Association in 1829, contain his account of the time he spent in Mecca and Medina: he was the first westerner to give an account of the Hajj pilgrimage. The work provides important and fascinating descriptions of the social, economic and political situation in Mecca and Medina during this period. Volume 2 describes the city of Medina.

Volume 2

John Lewis Burckhardt (1784-1817) was a Swiss explorer who is best remembered for his rediscovery of the ancient city of Petra, in Jordan. In 1809 he was commissioned by the African Association to discover the source of the River Niger. In preparation for this journey, for which he needed to pass as a Muslim, Burckhardt spent two years exploring and studying Arabic in Aleppo, before travelling widely in Arabia and Egypt. These volumes, first published in 1830, contain Burckhardt's description of Bedouin society and his history of the Wahhabi sect of Islam. He describes the different Bedouin tribes of Arabia and the Middle East and their political allegiances, and recounts in fascinating detail aspects of their society. He also narrates the history of the Wahhabi sect from its founding, and discusses its effect on the politics of the region. Volume 2 contains his history of the Wahhabi sect.

John Lewis Burckhardt (1784-1817) was a Swiss explorer who is best remembered for his rediscovery of the ancient city of Petra in modern Jordan. In 1809 he was commissioned by the African Association to discover the source of the River Niger. In preparation for this journey, for which he needed to pass as a Muslim, Burckhardt spent two years exploring and studying Arabic and Islamic law in Aleppo, before travelling widely in Arabia and Egypt. First published in 1822, this book provides 'a view of Arabian life and manners in every degree, from the Bedouin camp to the populous city', but the most striking passages describe the ruins of Petra, and especially its sumptuously carved Nabataean tombs. Burckhardt also records his frustration at not being able to explore freely and make notes, but these activities would have laid him open to suspicion of being a spy or an infidel, and almost certain death.

Arabic Proverbs

by John Lewis Burckhardt

Published 1 January 1990
John Lewis Burckhardt (1784-1817) was a Swiss explorer who is best remembered for his rediscovery of the ancient city of Petra in modern Jordan. In 1809 he was commissioned by the African Association to discover the source of the River Niger. In preparation for this journey, for which he needed to pass as a Muslim, Burckhardt spent two years exploring and studying Arabic and Islamic law in Aleppo, before travelling widely in Arabia and Egypt. This volume, first published posthumously in 1830 by the African Association, contains a collection of Arabic proverbs. The main group derives from an eighteenth-century collection, to which Burckhardt added proverbs he had heard during his residence in Cairo. Given in both Cairene Arabic and English, with Burckhardt's explanations of the context in which they were used, these proverbs provide a valuable source for the language and culture of nineteenth-century Cairo.

John Lewis Burckhardt (1784-1817) was a Swiss explorer who is best remembered for his rediscovery of the ancient city of Petra in modern Jordan. In 1809 he was commissioned by the African Association to discover the source of the River Niger. In preparation for this journey, for which he needed to pass as a Muslim, Burckhardt spent two years exploring and studying Arabic and Islamic law in Aleppo, before travelling widely in Arabia and Egypt. These volumes, first published by the African Association in 1829, contain his account of the time he spent in Mecca and Medina: he was the first westerner to give an account of the Hajj pilgrimage. The work provides important and fascinating descriptions of the social, economic and political situation in Mecca and Medina during this period.

John Lewis Burckhardt (1784-1817) was a Swiss explorer who is best remembered for his rediscovery of the ancient city of Petra, in Jordan. In 1809 he was commissioned by the African Association to discover the source of the River Niger. In preparation for this journey, for which he needed to pass as a Muslim, Burckhardt spent two years exploring and studying Arabic in Aleppo, before travelling widely in Arabia and Egypt. These volumes, first published in 1830, contain Burckhardt's description of Bedouin society and his history of the Wahhabi sect of Islam. He describes the different Bedouin tribes of Arabia and the Middle East and their political allegiances, and recounts in fascinating detail aspects of their society. He also narrates the history of the Wahhabi sect from its founding, and discusses its effect on the politics of the region.