Richard Burton - A Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to El-Medinah and Meccah
December 16th, 2007 by Bauman
“A Remarkable Work” (T.E. Lawrence on Richard Burton’s El Medinah and Meccah)
Arguably among the greatest and most fascinating figures in British exploration, the brilliant and intrepid Burton was granted permission by the Royal Geographical Society in 1853 to map the as yet unknown portions of the eastern and central Arabian peninsula.
Burton resolved to wend his way to Mecca to observe Muslim rites witnessed by few westerners. Donning a variety of disguises and learning the local customs - how to speak (using his skills as a linguist), dress, eat, sit, sleep, pray etc. - Burton was accepted as a native.
Over the course of his journey he visited the prophet Mohammed’s tomb (which was located, not in Mecca, as many Christians had hitherto believed, but in Medina) and brought back the first accurate observations by a westerner of the holiest of Moslem holy cities, Mecca.
He recorded his riveting experiences in A Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to El-Medinah and Meccah, published in 1855 to great acclaim. Search through our website for any available copies or contact us to request one.