Oriental Journeys

Musk -a strongly scented substance and highly-prized commodity, has a long and captivating history. Famed throughout the world in late antiquity – especially the Sasanian Empire in Iran - with the emergence of Islam, musk attained a distinctive position. For centuries, the sensual fragrance of musk has been synonymous with the rare and exalted: indispensable to royal treasuries; an integral part o...

The Ibadi Muslims , a little-known community, have lived in towns and villages of North Africa for over a thousand years. This Muslim community originated from Basra in 7th century, found their way in 8th century in part of the north Africa- also called the Maghrib - and evolved throughout Middle Ages. Passing through a turbulent history, Ibadi Muslims developed a unique system of knowledge transm...

Kanz al-fawāʾid  o r Treasure Trove is the enticing title of a medieval Egyptian cookbook, written by an anonymous author. This exceptional text comes from the Mamluks era, in the 14th century- and it preserves a variety of delicious delicacies and their various benefits for the modern reader. Compiled from multiple sources, the cookbook includes more than 800 colorful recipes earnestly detailed a...

The Arab world is enormously vast and diverse, in every imaginable way, and yet is deeply rooted in a lineage of shared values. Over three millennia, these evolving values have been transmitted from generation to generation, and traversed territories that stretch across the swathes of Western Asia and North Africa, connecting diverse Arab peoples.   Coming from an Arabised background, travelling a...

Kohl is a generic term for a cosmetic eyeliner made using naturally-sourced materials, a pulverized powder which darkens the edges of the eyelids. A cosmetic with a long and captivating history, kohl has been widely used by men, women and children throughout the ages across swathes of Africa and Asia, altering the appearance for a range of purposes and effects. In this episode, we will trace the h...

A ‘Mahmal’ was an empty, richly decorated carriage, which was mounted on a camel and journeyed annually from Cairo to accompany the Hajj pilgrim caravan to Mecca. On his journey toward Mecca in year 1326, Ibn Battuta was lucky enough to witness the illustrious mahmal procession ceremony in the bustling streets of Cairo. In this episode, we try to unfold the meaning of this devotional object and as...

Inspired by Ibn Battuta observations from Cairo in the 14th century, in this episode we walk through Cairo at the time of the Mamluks (13th-16th CE) and reach across the ages to touch upon dazzling facets of the city, as well as the sultanate - with a guest whose heart is always in Cairo. Doris Behrens-Abouseif is Professor Emerita at SOAS, University of London. Her many publications encompass a w...

Inspired by Ibn Battuta observations from Cairo in the 14th century, in this episode we walk through Cairo at the time of the Mamluks (13th-16th CE) and reach across the ages to touch upon dazzling facets of the city, as well as the sultanate - with a guest whose heart is always in Cairo. Doris Behrens-Abouseif is Professor Emerita at SOAS, University of London. Her many publications encompass a w...

In the first episode we will explore Ibn Battuta's travelogue, and search to find out more about him and his travels with a guest who has dedicated his life tracing Ibn Battuta. Tim Mackintosh-Smith is a British, Oxford-educated Arabist, writer, traveller, translator and lecturer, based in Yemen for many decades but currently nomadic. He is one of the foremost scholars of the Moroccan travele...

In this episode we will explore how the Travels of Ibn Battuta has been written and why the Travels is an important historic source with Tim Mackintosh-Smith who has dedicated his life tracing Ibn Battuta. Tim Mackintosh-Smith is a British, Oxford-educated Arabist, writer, traveller, translator and lecturer, based in Yemen for many decades but currently nomadic. He is one of the foremost scholars...

In this episode we will explore Ibn Battuta's multiple motivations for stepping into 29 years of traveling and search to find out more about his multifaceted personality with Tim Mackintosh-Smith who has dedicated his life tracing Ibn Battuta. Tim Mackintosh-Smith is a British, Oxford-educated Arabist, writer, traveller, translator and lecturer, based in Yemen for many decades but currently n...