Iconic Travellers

Today travelling to a different part of the world is such a normal part of life that it is easy to forget what an arduous undertaking it used to be. Until well into the 19th century anyone who left home needed considerable funds, time, stamina and spirit. Reasons for travelling were to embark on pilgrimages, to plunder, to explore, to write books, to serve empires or just to be somewhere else. Below I introduce some travellers with either an interest in culture or an ability to influence some aspect of a traveller’s world. Their stories certainly have given me much inspiration.

Herodotus

Herodotus, a Greek from the 5th century, had a keen eye for geography and culture. A man of considerable wealth, Herodotus showed much interest in research of broader issues over brief time spans, unlike other historians who covered small areas from a long term perspective. In fact, he was called the father of history, but strangely also the father of lies.

Ibn Sina

Ibn Sina (Avicenna) lived in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. Born in Bukhara (Central Asia) he travelled his world extensively, residing in Tehran and Isfahan amongst other places. During his travels he studied medicine, philosophy, mathematics and astronomy. The Qanun, a treatise on cardiac drugs, counts as his greatest medical work. IbnSina also noted the close relationship between the physical condition and emotions. His most celebrated Arabic poem describes the descent of “Soul into the Body” from the Higher Sphere. He became known as the doctor of doctors, expressing that he “preferred a short life with width to a narrow one with length”.

Ibn Battuta

Ibn Battuta, born in Tangier, was a noted Muslim traveller of his time (14th century). He   conducted a series of journeys that included overland trips to Africa and a pilgrimage to Mecca. He travelled for almost three decades, covering over 75,000 miles (120,700 km). He resided in India for eight years and was appointed ambassador to China. During his journeys he acquired much knowledge on the social and cultural history of Islam and subsequently recorded his adventures in a popular book entitled “Travels (Rihala) of Ibn Battuta”.

Martin Behaim

Martin Behaim  (1459-1537), a German mapmaker, navigator and merchant, accompanied the Portuguese explorer Diogo Cam (Cão) on a 1485-1486 voyage to the coast of West Africa and was part of the team that discovered the mouth of the Congo River. He also designed the first globe which became known as the Nuernberg Terrestrial Globe.

William Dampier William Dampier (1651 or 1652-1715) was a British buccaneer, explorer and mapmaker. He sailed to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, Australia, New Guinea, South East Asia and the South Seas. He investigated coastlines, rivers and currents as well as native cultures. He discovered New Britain (near New Guinuea) and published “A New Voyage Round the World”. Isabelle Eberhardt Many travellers experienced a fascination with the lands of the Orient.   Isabelle Eberhardt of Russian-Swiss origin visited Algeria at the end of the 19th century. She was well-educated and fluent in Arabic. She converted to Islam, joined a Muslim brotherhood, travelled alone dressed as a man across the desert, assumed an Arab identity under the name of Mahmoud Essadi and wrote several books and articles about the culture she had come to love. Richard Burton Richard Burton was one of the most extraordinary 19th-century adventurers. He made a name for himself as an explorer, scholar, linguist and diplomat. Although not a Muslim, he was able to enter Mecca. Burton also became famous for his descriptions of West African tribal life and his unsurpassed translation of “Thousand and One Nights”. William Dalrymple Colin Thubron Driven by a passion for exploring ancient civilisations modern travellers and writers Colin Thubron and William Dalrymple directed their main interest toward the Middle and Far East. Colin Thubron, the author of many distinguished travel books, was born in London in 1939. William Dalrymple was born in Scotland. At one time he lived in Delhi which inspired him to write his books “City of Djinns” and “The Age of Kali: Indian Travels and Encounters”.  Sacagawea (1788-1812) was a Shoshone Indian woman who accompanied the Lewis and Clark expedition as an interpreter and guide and as such assisted in their exploration of the western part of the United States. She travelled thousands of miles from North Dakota to Oregon on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Thomas Cook Thomas Cook almost single-handedly changed the concept of travel. Taking advantage of technical innovations (the railways), Cook made it possible for working-class and middle-class travellers to move cheaply and safely across Europe and eventually the world. Cook redefined the concept of leisure travel because his dream was to facilitate self-improvement through travel. Photos thanks to Wikipedia