ʿAlī Ibn-al-Ḥusain Abu-ʾl-Faraǧ al-Iṣfahānī

ʻAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn Abū al-Faraǧ al-Iṣbahānī

Professor of Islamic History at the Institute for Advanced Study Patricia Crone

Professor Department of Arabic Language and Literature Shmuel Moreh

A 10th century Iraqi took to collecting verse graffiti left behind by travellers. The result of his pastime was a little book that conjures up his nostalgic mood in a manner rarely attempted in Arabic literature. This work offers a translation of his work and discusses its cultural context.

The Book of Strangers Mediaeval Arabic Graffiti on the Theme of Nostalgia