pickI loved this little book of travellers tales by Arabic (specifically, a Baghdadi of the Abbasid Empire from what is now Iraq, written while he was living in Egypt in 947CE) writer, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Mas'udi.
His accounts of Persian, Greek, Egyptian, East African,Indian, Central Asian, Chinese, Malaysian, Cambodian, etc. life and cultural practices are fascinating, and there are hints of knowledge of the Americas and Japan, all 👇
al-Mus'ādī is describing some of the wonders of Egypt, including the excavation of a temple lost beneath the desert sands. Uncovering stairs leading to the entrance, a rash man sets foot on the fourth step, triggering two swords to spring out of the walls & slice him to pieces, one of which rolls onto another trigger-step, causing the whole edifice to collapse, burying 2000 people!
I love that Indy's Tomb Raiding has such a venerable lineage! 😃
"... all traces of science have vanished and its splendour is spent; learning has become too general and has lost its depth, and one no longer sees any but people filled with vanity and ignorance, imperfect scholars who are content with superficial ideas and do not recognise the truth."
Written in 947 CE, presumably al-Mas'ūdī had the gift of precognition? Either that, or human nature is constant over the millennia, which is either ? or ?
"We beg our readers' indulgence for any mistakes or negligence which they find in this book; for our memory is weakened and it strength spent as a result of the great weariness brought about by voyages which have taken us by sea from one country to another and by land across extensive desert."
Opening line of a short selection of entries from Baghdad-born Mas'üdī's lengthy account of his 10th C. CE travels.
#FirstLineFridays @shybookowl
#MidwinterSolace #LitSolace
#Fridaynightshare Week 2 - Non-fiction- Winter
I had to choose The Library of Ice (despite choosing it last year 😅), as it had such an impact on me. It is a glorious homage to landscapes we must protect.
https://www.nancycampbell.co.uk/books/the-library-of-ice
My mom and I decided to make a little display in the living room for our dog Toppy right after she passed away. Our display has Toppy‘s ashes with her picture on it, her paw print with her name on it and some of her favorite toys that she liked playing with. Something I‘ve started working on is writing down some happy memories of her because it was recommended in an article I read online.
10/1/13 ❤️10/25/24 (R.I.P. Toppy!)
#petsoflitsy
Here‘s a tribute to my dog Toppy. Since she‘s now at the Rainbow Bridge, I decorated our calendar in our kitchen with some stickers for the day she passed away and it happened on my brother‘s birthday too. I remember the time she saw a turtle on a walking trail that I took her to. She crouched down in the grass and sniffed it where its head was. It put its head inside its shell.
#DogsOfLitsy
pickIn 1982, despite an absence of boating experience, Jonathan Raban decided to sail around England. Here he presents his travels on sea and stops on land in a snapshot from a different era. He also does a little random noodling. I enjoyed it.
so-soI read this in anticipation of an upcoming trip to Greece. It‘s a memoir set in Athens around 2004. The author‘s anthropological eye is used wonderfully here to capture her adopted country. I loved learning more about what sets the Greek people apart. It‘s not a frothy read, and focuses frequently on dark things from their history, but I really enjoyed it and felt like I was getting an honest look at the country beyond the tourist borders.
Mas'üdī mentions his Islamic faith and culture, while respecting the faith and cultures of the peoples he meets. He reports hearsay at times, clarifying where he has no evidence, and occasionally commenting on things that seem probable exaggerations or fiction.
I particularly enjoyed his accounts of treasure hunting and excavation of the antiquities of Egypt, and his story of the foolish king of 👇 4w