Ahmad ibn Fadlān ibn al-Abbās ibn Rašīd ibn Hammād (أحمد إبن فضلان إبن ألعباس إبن رشيد إبن حماد) was a 10th century Muslim writer and traveler who wrote an account of his travels as a member of an embassy of the Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad to the king of the Volga Bulgars, the Kitāb ilā Malik al-Saqāliba كتاب إلى ملك الصقالبة. Meanings of IBN: In mathematics, invariant basis number is a property that most rings have In computing, see code page 865 In Arabic names, ibn means son of. In aircraft navigation, IBN means Image Based Navigation CNN IBN is an Indian newschannel. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Abbasid Caliphate (Abbasid Khalifat) and contemporary states and empires in 820. ... For main article see: Caliphate First of all, this system is invalid and is unlawful Islamicly. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... The Volga Bulgars were a culture in southern modern Russia along the Volga River from approximately 900 to 1300 AD. They were related to the original Bulgars of Old Great Bulgaria which had existed in approximately the same region around 600 to 700. ...

Manuscript tradition

For a long time, only an incomplete version of the account was known, as transmitted in the geographical dictionary of Yāqūt (under the headings Atil, Bashgird, Bulghār, Khazar, Khwārizm, Rūs), published in 1823 by Fraehn. Only in 1923 was a manuscript discovered by the Turkish scholar of Bashkir origin Zeki Validi Togan in the library of the Iranian city of Mashhad. The manuscript MS 5229 dates from the 13th century (7th cent. Hijra) and consists of 420 pages (210 folia). Besides other geographical treatises, it contains a fuller version of Ibn Fadlan's text (pp. 390-420). Additional passages not preserved in MS 5229 are quoted in the work of the 16th century Persian geographer Amin Razi called Haft Iqlīm "Seven Climes". Yaqut (Yaqut ibn-Abdullah al-Hamawi) (1179 - 1229) was an Arab biographer and geographer. ... The Volga (Russian: , Tatar Cyrillic: Идел, Latin: Ä°del) is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. ... The Bashkirs, a Turkic people, live in Russia, mostly in the republic of Bashkortostan. ... The Volga Bulgars were a culture in southern modern Russia along the Volga River from approximately 900 to 1300 AD. They were related to the original Bulgars of Old Great Bulgaria which had existed in approximately the same region around 600 to 700. ... The Khazars were a Turkic semi-nomadic people from Central Asia who adopted Judaism. ... Khiva (alternative names include Khorasam, Khoresm, Khwarezm, Khwarizm, Khwarazm, Chiwa and Chorezm) is a city in present day Uzbekistan, in the Province of Khorezm. ... Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Ру́сь, Kievskaya Rus in Russian; Київська Русь, Kyivs’ka Rus’ in Ukrainian) was the early, mostly East Slavic¹ state dominated by the... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Bashkirs, a Turkic people, live in Russia, mostly in the republic of Bashkortostan. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Mashhad (Persian: , literally the place of martyrdom) is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shiah world. ... MS 5229 is a 7th century Hijra (13th century) manuscript, 210 folia (420 pages), kept in Ridawiya Library, Mashhad. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... This article is about Islamic Calendar and how it was formed, for the event of hijra see Migration to Medina. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... A geographer is a crazy psycho whose area of study is geocrap, the pseudoscientific study of Earths physical environment and human habitat and the study of boring students to death. ... Amin Razi (Amīn Rāzī) 16th century persian geographer, author of an encyclopedia called haft iqlīm (seven climes) Categories: Stub ... The seven climes (klima, plural klimata, meaning inclination, referring to the angle between the axis of the celestial sphere and the horizon) was a notion of dividing the Earth into zones in Classical Antiquity. ...

The Embassy

Ibn Fadlan was sent from Baghdad in 921 to serve as the secretary to an ambassador from the Abbasid Caliph al-Muqtadir to the iltäbär (vassal-king under the Khazars) of the Volga Bulgaria, Almış. Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... Events Embassy of Ahmad ibn Fadlan from Baghdad to the king of the Volga Bulgars on behalf of the Abbasid Caliph al-Muqtadir Henry the Fowler invades Bavaria and obtains fealty from Arnulf the Bad Births King Edmund I of England Onmyoji Abe no Seimei Deaths September 1 - Richard of... Abbasid Caliphate (Abbasid Khalifat) and contemporary states and empires in 820. ... For main article see: Caliphate First of all, this system is invalid and is unlawful Islamicly. ... Al-Muqtadir (Arabic: المقتدر ) (died 932) was the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 908 to 932. ... In the hierarchy of the Gokturk and Khazar empires, an Elteber was the client-king of an autonomous but tributary tribe or polity. ... The Khazars (Hebrew Kuzari כוזרי Kuzarim כוזרים; Turkish Hazar Hazarlar; Russian Хазарин Хазары; Tatar sing Xäzär Xäzärlär; Crimean Tatar: ; Greek Χαζάροι/Χάζαροι; Persianخزر khazar; Latin Gazari or Cosri) were a semi-nomadic Turkic people from Central Asia, many of whom converted to Judaism. ... The Little Minaret in Bolghar For other uses, see Bulgaria (disambiguation). ... Almış (Almas) iltäbär //, ul-MESH (the end of 9th century – the beginning of 10th) was the first Moslem ruler (emir) of Volga Bulgaria. ...

The embassy's objective was to have the king of the Bolğars pay homage to Caliph al-Muqtadir and, in return, to give the king money to pay for the construction of a fortress. Although they reached Bolğar, the mission failed because they were unable to collect the money intended for the king. Annoyed at not receiving the promised sum, the king refused to switch from the Maliki rite to the Hanafi rite of Baghdad. The Little Minaret of Bolghar. ... The Little Minaret of Bolghar. ... This page deals with Islamic thought. ... The Hanafi (Arabic حنفي) school is the oldest of the four schools of thought (Madhhabs) or jurisprudence (Fiqh) within Sunni Islam. ...

The embassy left Baghdad on June 21, 921 (11 Safar 309). It reached the Bulghars after much hardship on May 12, 922 (12 Muharram 310) (This day is an official religious holiday in modern Tatarstan). The journey took Ibn Fadlan from Baghdad to Bukhara, to Khwarizm (south of the Aral Sea), to Jurjaniya (where his party spent the winter), north across the Ural River until they reached the towns of the Bulghars at the three lakes of the Volga north of the Samara bend. is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Embassy of Ahmad ibn Fadlan from Baghdad to the king of the Volga Bulgars on behalf of the Abbasid Caliph al-Muqtadir Henry the Fowler invades Bavaria and obtains fealty from Arnulf the Bad Births King Edmund I of England Onmyoji Abe no Seimei Deaths September 1 - Richard of... The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar (Arabic: التقويم الهجري; at-taqwīm al-hijrī; Persian: تقویم هجري قمری ‎ taqwīm-e hejri-ye qamari; also called the Hijri calendar) is the calendar used to date events in many predominantly Muslim countries, and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Births Deaths March 26 - Al-Hallaj, Sufi writer and teacher Categories: 922 ... The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar (Arabic: التقويم الهجري; at-taqwīm al-hijrī; Persian: تقویم هجري قمری ‎ taqwīm-e hejri-ye qamari; also called the Hijri calendar) is the calendar used to date events in many predominantly Muslim countries, and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate... Republic of Tatarstan (Russian: ; Tatar: ) is a federal subject of Russia (a republic). ... Bukhara (Tajik: Бухоро; Persian: , Buxârâ; Uzbek: ; Russian: ), from the Soghdian βuxārak (lucky place), is the fifth-largest city in Uzbekistan, and capital of the Bukhara Province (viloyat). ... Khiva (alternative names include Khorasam, Khoresm, Khwarezm, Khwarizm, Khwarazm, Chiwa and Chorezm) is a city in present day Uzbekistan, in the Province of Khorezm. ... The Aral Sea (Kazakh: Арал Теңізі, Aral Tengizi, Uzbek: , Russian: Аральскοе мοре) is a landlocked endorheic sea in Central Asia; it lies between Kazakhstan in the north and Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region of Uzbekistan, in the south. ... The Ural (Russian: , Kazakh: Жайық, Jayıq or Zhayyq), known as Yaik before 1775, is a river flowing through Russia and Kazakhstan. ... The Volga (Russian: , Tatar Cyrillic: Идел, Latin: İdel) is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. ... The Samara bend is a large, backwards-C-shaped bend in the middle Volga River at the confluence of the Samara River. ...

After arriving in Bolğar, Ahmad ibn Fadlan made a trip to Wisu and recorded his observations of trade between the Volga Bolğars and local Finnic tribes. The Little Minaret of Bolghar. ... Wisu (Isu) is a historical area in upper Kama, modern Perm Oblast of Russia. ... Bulgaria, known today as Volga Bulgaria, is a historic state that existed between the 7th and 13th centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama Rivers in what is now the Russian Federation. ... The name Komi may refer to: Komi Republic—a republic in Russia. ...

The Rus

Main article: Rus' (people)

A substantial part of Ibn Fadlan's account is dedicated to the description of a people he called the Rūs روس or Rūsiyyah. Most scholars identify them with the Rus' or Varangians, which would make Ibn Fadlan's account one of the earliest portrayals of Vikings. Rus’ (????, ) was a medieval East Slavic nation, which, according to the most popular (but by no means only) theory, may have taken its name from a ruling warrior class, possibly with Scandinavian roots. ... Rus’ (????, ) was a medieval East Slavic nation, which, according to the most popular (but by no means only) theory, may have taken its name from a ruling warrior class, possibly with Scandinavian roots. ... Varangian Guardsmen, an illumination from the 11th century chronicle of John Skylitzes. ... The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, Europe and the British Isles from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. ...

The Rūs appear as traders that set up shop on the river banks nearby the Bolğar camp. They are described as having the most perfect bodies, tall as palm-trees, with blond hair and ruddy skin. They are tattooed from "fingernails to neck" with dark blue "tree patterns" and other "figures" and that all men are armed with an axe and a long knife. For other uses, see Tattoo (disambiguation). ...

Ibn Fadlan describes the hygiene of the Rūsiyyah as disgusting (while also noting with some astonishment that they comb their hair every day) and considers them vulgar and unsophisticated. In that, his impressions contradict those of the Persian traveler Ibn Rustah. He also describes in great detail the funeral of one of their chieftains (a ship burial involving human sacrifice). Some scholars believe that it took place in the modern Balymer complex.^[1] Ibn Rustah (in Persian: ابن رسته) was a 10th century Persian explorer and geographer born in Rosta district, Isfahan, Persia (See Encyclopaedia Iranica [1]). He wrote a geographical compendium. ... Ship burial of Igor the Old in 945, depicted by Heinrich Semiradski (1845-1902). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Balymer complex is an archaeological complex near the village of Balymer, Spassky District, Tatarstan, Russia. ...

Fiction

Elements of Ibn Fadlan's account are used in the novel Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton (filmed as The 13th Warrior with Antonio Banderas as Ibn Fadlan), in which the Arab ambassador is taken even further north and is involved in adventures inspired by the Old English epic Beowulf. Indeed Crichton designed "Eaters of the Dead" as being a fictional version of the historic events which created the basis of the epic "Beowulf". Eaters of the Dead: The Manuscript of Ibn Fadlan Relating His Experiences with the Northmen in A.D. 922 is a 1976 novel by Michael Crichton. ... Michael Crichton, pronounced [1], (born October 23, 1942) is an American author, film producer, film director, and television producer. ... The 13th Warrior is a 1999 action film based on Michael Crichtons novel Eaters of the Dead, directed by John McTiernan and an uncredited Crichton, and starring Antonio Banderas as Ahmad ibn Fadlan and Vladimir Kulich as Bulywif (Beowulf). ... José Antonio Domínguez Banderas (born August 10, 1960), better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor and singer who has starred in several high-profile Hollywood films including Ballistic: Ecks vs. ... Old English (also called Anglo-Penis[1], Englisc by its speakers) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ... This article is about the epic poem. ...

References

• Ch. M. Fraehn. Die ältesten arabischen Nachrichten über die Wolga-Bulgaren aus Ibn-Foszlan's Reiseberichte. – «Memoires de L'Academie Imper. des Sciences.», VI serie, 1823.
• Ibn Fadlan, Voyage chez les Bulgares de la Volga, trad. Marius Canard, Paris 1988.
• Collection of Geographical Works by Ibn al-Faqih, Ibn Fadlan, Abu Dulaf Al-Khazraji, ed. Fuat Sezgin, Frankfurt am Main, 1987.

1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ...

See also

• Elasmotherium
• List of Arab scientists and scholars
• List of Islamic scholars
• Nabidh

Binomial name Elasmotherium sibiricum J. Fischer, 1809 The Giant Unicorn (Elasmotherium sibiricum) (Siberian Thin-Plate Beast) was a giant rhinoceros which stood two meters high and six meters (20 feet) long, with a single two-meter-long (7 feet) horn in the forehead. ... A 9th century picture of Arab scientists working in Baghdad, Iraq. ... Islamic scholars are Muslim and non-Muslim scholars who work in one or more fields of Islamic studies. ... Nabidh was an intoxicating beverage. ...

External links

• Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies 3 (2000), containing "Ibn Fadlan and the Rūsiyyah", by James E. Montgomery, with an annotated translation of the part of the account pertaining to the Rus.
• Risala: Ibn Fadlan's Embassy to the King of Volga Bulgaria
• Encyclopedia of Ukraine
• Muslim heritage
• Kroraina (on Bulgarian)

1. ^ (Russian) Сибирский курьер. Тайны древнего кургана