A thousand years ago, Nasir-I Khasraw, a Persian poet and his brother set out from Kharasan which is now in Iran and headed west. Don’t be put off by the first ten or twelve pages, because once Khasraw gets further along on his seven-year epic journey through Middle Eastern countries, he becomes better at recording what he sees.
I first read this book well over two decades ago, but it always stayed with me and recently I had the opportunity to reread it. What was most fascinating was revisiting his descriptions of the places where he spent more time. He had originally intended to make a pilgrimage to Mecca and although he eventually did go there, he first spent three years in Cairo during the Fatimid reign. He also spent some time in Jerusalem learning how the city collected water into cisterns—water that flowed off lead roofs and details of its major Islamic shrines. Khasraw travelled, often on foot, occasionally by boat, or sometimes by camel. He included the population of places like Mecca and mentioned that pieces of wood from Noah’s ark were used in the Kaaba. Finally, I loved his wonderful experience when he arrived in a town penniless and in rags. Perhaps many of these fine details may not have survived without his in depth explanations.
Read and Write 