Abu Hamid al-Gharnati facts for kids

Abu Hamid al-Gharnati was an amazing traveler and writer from a long time ago. He was born around 1080 in Granada, a city in what is now Spain. He traveled across many lands, including parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia, and wrote exciting books about his adventures and the wonderful things he saw. He lived to be about 90 years old, passing away in 1170.

A Life of Travel

Abu Hamid al-Gharnati's family might have left Granada because of a powerful ruler named Yusuf ibn Tashfin. This led him to begin his incredible journeys.

Journeys Across Continents

• In 1106, he started his travels from Spain, heading towards Egypt and Syria.
• By 1115, he reached Alexandria, a famous city in Egypt. On his way, he visited islands like Sardinia and Sicily.
• He even wrote about Mount Etna, a large volcano in Sicily.
• In 1123, he moved to Baghdad, a very important city at that time.

Adventures in Eastern Europe

• From 1131 to 1150, al-Gharnati lived with the Volga Bulgarians. This group of people lived near the Volga River in what is now Russia.
• He also traveled to Hungary, where he worked as an advisor for King Géza II. This shows he was a respected and knowledgeable person.

Later Travels and Writings

• In 1154, he traveled through Kiev (now the capital of Ukraine) back to Baghdad.
• He then lived in different cities:
  • Mosul from 1161
  • Aleppo from 1165
  • Finally, Damascus from 1169

His Famous Books

Abu Hamid al-Gharnati wrote two main books that tell us about his travels and observations.

Gift of Hearts

• His first book was called Tuhfat al-Albab, which means "Gift of Hearts."
• In this book, he wrote about his travels in eastern and central Europe.
• It was like a travel diary, sharing all the interesting things he saw and experienced.

Praise of Some of the Wonders of North Africa

• His other important book was al-Mu’rib ‘an ba’d ‘aja’ib al-Maghreb.
• This title means Praise of Some of the Wonders of North Africa.
• In this book, he described amazing places and things.
• He even started a new type of book in Arabic, focusing on wonders and fantastic details.
• Sometimes, he added exciting, sometimes made-up, details to his stories to make them more entertaining.

See also

In Spanish: Abu Hamid al-Gharnati para niños