Flora, fauna, and famine in thirteenth-century Egypt A Physician on
the Nile begins as a description of everyday life in Egypt at the
turn of the seventh/thirteenth century, before becoming a harrowing
account of famine and pestilence. Written by the polymath and
physician 'Abd al-Latif al-Baghdadi, and intended for the Abbasid
caliph al-Nasir, the first part of the book offers detailed
descriptions of Egypt's geography, plants, animals, and local
cuisine, including a recipe for a giant picnic pie made with three
entire roast lambs and dozens of chickens. 'Abd al-Latif's text is
also a pioneering work of ancient Egyptology, with detailed
observations of Pharaonic monuments, sculptures, and mummies. An
early and ardent champion of archaeological conservation, 'Abd
al-Latif condemns the vandalism wrought by tomb-robbers and notes
with distaste that Egyptian grocers price their goods with labels
written on recycled mummy-wrappings. The book's second half relates
his horrific eyewitness account of the great famine that afflicted
Egypt in the years 597-598/1200-1202. 'Abd al-Latif was a keen
observer of humanity, and he offers vivid first-hand depictions of
starvation, cannibalism, and a society in moral free-fall. A
Physician on the Nile contains great diversity in a small compass,
distinguished by the acute, humane, and ever-curious mind of its
author. It is rare to be able to hear the voice of such a man
responding so directly to novelty, beauty, and tragedy. A bilingual
Arabic-English edition.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
