Travellers to Khwarazm before the Mongol Invasion?

[keaganjoelbrewer]

Hey everyone! I'm new to this site and glad to have found it. Have been browsing all afternoon! It's lovely to know there is a community of people out there who are interested in the things I'm interested in =D.


Anyway, down to my question:

Does anyone know of any travellers who visited Khwarazm in between 1100 and its destruction by the Mongols in the 1220s (in other words in the high point of the Khwarazm-shahs' empire)? It doesn't matter if they're Chinese, Middle Eastern, European.. whatever.

The only one I know of who might have gone there (but I haven't read it) is Ibn Fadlan. Is there a copy of his book in English?

I'm pretty sure that the embassies to the Khans like Marco Polo, John di Plano Carpini, Rubruck, Odoric etc are too late.

I don't know if such a source exists where an outsider describes Khwarazm in its heyday but it would be awesome if it did.

Thanks in advance for your help!
Keagan.

[H. İhsan Erkoç]

Greetings Keagen, welcome aboard

Ahmad ibn Fadlan (Aḥmad ibn Faḍlān أحمد بن فضلان) travelled to the Volga Bulghars at 921-922, much earlier than you were asking. If you still want to read it, I am sure it has an English translation, because it has several Turkish translations, and I have also seen the German translation made by Zeki Velidi Togan.

I think the Mu'jam al-Buldân معجم البلدان written by Yâqût al-Hamawî ياقوت الحموي fits perfect for what you are looking for

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaqut_al-Hamawi
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu%27jam_Al-Buldan

[keaganjoelbrewer]

Yeah that sounds great! According to a website I found he was there just before the Mongols invaded.

It doesn't exist in English translation though =( as far as I can tell, and I don't read any Arabic.

There is a German translation I could read, but I have no idea where I can get my hands on it. Ah well

Thanks for the info anyway Ihsan! =)

[sharshuvuu]

Make it easy: just take the next five years off and learn Arabic! :-)

Sharshuvuu

[keaganjoelbrewer]

haha yeah! sounds like fun =)

i will start learning arabic soon, but russian first!

[Azadan Januspar]

Biruni also wrote a book on history of Khwarazm.