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Arminius Vambery: His Life and Adventures
ARMINIUS VAMBÉRY: His Life and Adventures. Written by Himself. With Portrait and 14 Illustrations. Square Imperial 16mo, cloth extra, 6s.
"A most fascinating work, full of interesting and curious experiences."—Contemporary Review.
"It is partly an autobiographic sketch of character, partly an account of a singularly daring and successful adventure in the exploration of a practically unknown country. In both aspects it deserves to be spoken of as a work of great interest and of considerable merit."—Saturday Review.
"A most fascinating work, full of interesting and curious experiences."—Contemporary Review.
"It is partly an autobiographic sketch of character, partly an account of a singularly daring and successful adventure in the exploration of a practically unknown country. In both aspects it deserves to be spoken of as a work of great interest and of considerable merit."—Saturday Review.
- GenresHistory
417 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1973
About the author
Ármin Vámbéry
293 books14 followersVámbéry was born in the city of Szentgyörgy, in the Kingdom of Hungary(now Svätý Jur in Slovakia), into a poor Jewish family.
Despite being raised Jewish, he later on became an atheist.[1] Vámbéry was 1 year old when his father died and the family moved to Dunaszerdahely, Kingdom of Hungary...
Wikipedia
Despite being raised Jewish, he later on became an atheist.[1] Vámbéry was 1 year old when his father died and the family moved to Dunaszerdahely, Kingdom of Hungary...
Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 30, 2014
It was the year 1862 when the 31 years old Ármin Vámbéry set himself on a perilous journey that would take him from Istanbul to the desert land of Central Asia.
Earlier on as a kid, he realized he had a knack for languages. After teaching himself German and Slavonic, he went on to learn Turkish after a lengthy stay in Istanbul. During his stay in Turkey, he became tutor of many people to make a living. Earning him access to the most influential sectors of the Turkish society in the process.
He became increasingly lured by the then mysterious and unknown lands of Central Asia. Evocative names such as Bokhara, Khiva or Samarkand resonated heavily in his imagination. After mastering the Turkish language he resolved to travel across Turkey, Persia and the various Khanates in Central Asia.
With the help of few letters of recommendation and a stamp from the Ottoman Sultan, he traversed Iran. However, from Iran onwards he had to rely on his on ability, cunning and language skills to go unnoticed and unmolested. As the lawless lands of the Turkoman Khanates were plagued with enslavers at the time, and they did not heed any foreign authority.
Eventually, Vámbéry managed to go as far as Herat and get back to Turkey safely. His exploits earned him the praise and recognition from many Western countries. Especially in Britain, where he was highly welcome, chiefly because of the intelligence he could provide about the Russian influence in the lands he visited. It should be noticed he travelled at the height of the Great Game, and any piece of information the Britons could gather from those distant countries was highly valuable at the time.
Above all, Vámbéry was a linguist, and he was more interested in people's culture and customs than anything else. His main focus was on the endless conflict between Sunnites and Shias, cultural differences between Persians and Turkomans, and the many dialects spoken in the countries he visited.
As many other books of this period, when you read it you can sense this journey belongs to what was an end of an era. The era of camel caravans. The era of travelling on old commercial routes dating back from the legendary Silk Road times. When a person with a hunger for adventure, real adventure, could pursue it.
The book is highly readable, the narrative being clear and concise. I found it to be quite entertaining. I would highly recommend it to people with an interest in travelling writing (in general), and Central Asia (in particular).
Earlier on as a kid, he realized he had a knack for languages. After teaching himself German and Slavonic, he went on to learn Turkish after a lengthy stay in Istanbul. During his stay in Turkey, he became tutor of many people to make a living. Earning him access to the most influential sectors of the Turkish society in the process.
He became increasingly lured by the then mysterious and unknown lands of Central Asia. Evocative names such as Bokhara, Khiva or Samarkand resonated heavily in his imagination. After mastering the Turkish language he resolved to travel across Turkey, Persia and the various Khanates in Central Asia.
With the help of few letters of recommendation and a stamp from the Ottoman Sultan, he traversed Iran. However, from Iran onwards he had to rely on his on ability, cunning and language skills to go unnoticed and unmolested. As the lawless lands of the Turkoman Khanates were plagued with enslavers at the time, and they did not heed any foreign authority.
Eventually, Vámbéry managed to go as far as Herat and get back to Turkey safely. His exploits earned him the praise and recognition from many Western countries. Especially in Britain, where he was highly welcome, chiefly because of the intelligence he could provide about the Russian influence in the lands he visited. It should be noticed he travelled at the height of the Great Game, and any piece of information the Britons could gather from those distant countries was highly valuable at the time.
Above all, Vámbéry was a linguist, and he was more interested in people's culture and customs than anything else. His main focus was on the endless conflict between Sunnites and Shias, cultural differences between Persians and Turkomans, and the many dialects spoken in the countries he visited.
As many other books of this period, when you read it you can sense this journey belongs to what was an end of an era. The era of camel caravans. The era of travelling on old commercial routes dating back from the legendary Silk Road times. When a person with a hunger for adventure, real adventure, could pursue it.
The book is highly readable, the narrative being clear and concise. I found it to be quite entertaining. I would highly recommend it to people with an interest in travelling writing (in general), and Central Asia (in particular).
June 7, 2019
Arminius Vambery was especially attracted by the literature and culture of the Ottoman Empire including Turkey. By the age of twenty, Vambery had learned enough Ottoman Turkish to enable him to go, through the assistance of Baron Joseph Eotvos, to Istanbul and establish himself as a private tutor of European languages. He became a tutor in the house of Huseyin Daim Pasha, and, under the influence of his friend and instructor, Ahmet Efendi, became a full Osmanli, serving as secretary to Fuad Pasha. About this time he was elected a corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in recognition of his translations of Ottoman historians.
After spending about a year in Constantinople, he published a German-Turkish dictionary in 1858. Later, he also published various other linguistic works. He also learned some twenty other Turkish languages and dialects. Returning to Budapest in 1861, he received a stipend of a thousand florins from the academy, and in the autumn of the same year, disguised as a Sunni dervish, and under the name of Reshid Efendi, he set out from Constantinople. His route lay from Trebizond on the Black Sea to Tehran in Persia, where he joined a band of pilgrims returning from Mecca, spending several months with them traveling across Central Iran (Tabriz, Zanjan, and Ghazvin). He then went to Shiraz, through Isfahan, and in June, 1863, he reached Kharazm (Central Asia). Throughout this time, he succeeded in maintaining his disguise as Reshid Efendi, so that upon his arrival at the Khanate of Khiva he managed to keep up appearances during interviews with Khan Sayyid Muhammad. Together with his band of travelers, he then crossed Bokhara and arrived at Samarkand. Initially, he aroused the suspicions of the local ruler, who kept him in an audience for a full half-hour. Vambery managed to maintain his pretences, and left the audience laden with gifts. Upon leaving Samarkand, Vambery began making his way back to Constantinople, traveling by way of Herat. There he took leave of the band of dervishes and joined a caravan to Tehran, and from there, via Trebizond and Erzurum, to Constantinople, arriving there in March 1864
After spending about a year in Constantinople, he published a German-Turkish dictionary in 1858. Later, he also published various other linguistic works. He also learned some twenty other Turkish languages and dialects. Returning to Budapest in 1861, he received a stipend of a thousand florins from the academy, and in the autumn of the same year, disguised as a Sunni dervish, and under the name of Reshid Efendi, he set out from Constantinople. His route lay from Trebizond on the Black Sea to Tehran in Persia, where he joined a band of pilgrims returning from Mecca, spending several months with them traveling across Central Iran (Tabriz, Zanjan, and Ghazvin). He then went to Shiraz, through Isfahan, and in June, 1863, he reached Kharazm (Central Asia). Throughout this time, he succeeded in maintaining his disguise as Reshid Efendi, so that upon his arrival at the Khanate of Khiva he managed to keep up appearances during interviews with Khan Sayyid Muhammad. Together with his band of travelers, he then crossed Bokhara and arrived at Samarkand. Initially, he aroused the suspicions of the local ruler, who kept him in an audience for a full half-hour. Vambery managed to maintain his pretences, and left the audience laden with gifts. Upon leaving Samarkand, Vambery began making his way back to Constantinople, traveling by way of Herat. There he took leave of the band of dervishes and joined a caravan to Tehran, and from there, via Trebizond and Erzurum, to Constantinople, arriving there in March 1864
August 23, 2017
A fantastic travelogue by Armin Vambery. A personal account of his travels to the Ottoman empire, Persia, Khanate of Khiva, Emirate of Bukhara and Afghanistan in the 1850s-1860s. While the industrial revolution was in full swing in parts of Europe, dramatically altering the ways of life, people in central Asia very much lived the same way in 1860 as their ancestors did when Genghis Khan and his men walked the earth. The central Asian kingdoms were still independent at the time of Vambery's visit (although Russia would subjugate them a few years later), and his travels provides a insightful, humorous, and at times dramatic look into a society that was nearly untouched by modernity. Pretending to be a dervish, and as a master in Turkish (and several other languages) Vambery gets an exclusive and authentic tour - that no other European cultured man could've hoped for - into this secluded part of the world. The e-book can be found for free online since the copyrights have expired a long time ago, and I would highly recommend it!
June 9, 2019
زندگی و سفرهای وامبری، سفرنامه آرمینیوس وامبرى جهانگرد لهستانی است که توسط محمدحسین آریا به زبان فارسی ترجمه شده است. این کتاب که به زبانهای مختلف ترجمه شده است، از قسطنطنیه آغاز و با عبور از شهرهای مختلف ایران به بواپست ختم مىشود. در این اثر گزارشی از آداب و رسوم و اوضاع اجتماعی و سیاسی شهرهای مختلف ایران ارائه و به لحاظ تاریخی و جغرافیایی ارزشمند است.
January 30, 2018
One of the great travel adventures. Vambery, and linguist, teaches himself impeccable Turkish/Arabic, disguises himself as a Dervish and sets out for central asia and Persia from Constantinople on foot and by donkey.
It's an unbelievable journey. Bandits, disease, tyrants, desert and scorpions all try their best to kill him. They don't succeed. It's a ruthless world too. The most vivid scene is the eldery prisoners of war who are blinded en-masse by a strike of the dagger, left to wander the city pitfully wailing. Vambery saw scenes of great cruelty, but also meets fellow travellers who become dedicated, loyal friends. It was no wonder the book was a best seller when he published it.
Sure, the book drags at times. You expect that from something written in the mid-1800s. But it was one of the more important travel narratvies from the 19th century. An exhausting trip, and an unbelievably brave one.
It's an unbelievable journey. Bandits, disease, tyrants, desert and scorpions all try their best to kill him. They don't succeed. It's a ruthless world too. The most vivid scene is the eldery prisoners of war who are blinded en-masse by a strike of the dagger, left to wander the city pitfully wailing. Vambery saw scenes of great cruelty, but also meets fellow travellers who become dedicated, loyal friends. It was no wonder the book was a best seller when he published it.
Sure, the book drags at times. You expect that from something written in the mid-1800s. But it was one of the more important travel narratvies from the 19th century. An exhausting trip, and an unbelievably brave one.
June 27, 2020
Absolutely amazing book
The journey of a poor and lonely Jewish kid from Hungary to the discovery of Islam and Central Asia
In the 1870’s.
Worth reading to discover those unknown countries at the time, their beliefs, tradition and geography.
The journey of a poor and lonely Jewish kid from Hungary to the discovery of Islam and Central Asia
In the 1870’s.
Worth reading to discover those unknown countries at the time, their beliefs, tradition and geography.
July 26, 2026
Hac Yolunda
June 8, 2019
Arminius Vambery was especially attracted by the literature and culture of the Ottoman Empire including Turkey. By the age of twenty, Vambery had learned enough Ottoman Turkish to enable him to go, through the assistance of Baron Joseph Eotvos, to Istanbul and establish himself as a private tutor of European languages. He became a tutor in the house of Huseyin Daim Pasha, and, under the influence of his friend and instructor, Ahmet Efendi, became a full Osmanli, serving as secretary to Fuad Pasha. About this time he was elected a corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in recognition of his translations of Ottoman historians.
After spending about a year in Constantinople, he published a German-Turkish dictionary in 1858. Later, he also published various other linguistic works. He also learned some twenty other Turkish languages and dialects. Returning to Budapest in 1861, he received a stipend of a thousand florins from the academy, and in the autumn of the same year, disguised as a Sunni dervish, and under the name of Reshid Efendi, he set out from Constantinople. His route lay from Trebizond on the Black Sea to Tehran in Persia, where he joined a band of pilgrims returning from Mecca, spending several months with them traveling across Central Iran (Tabriz, Zanjan, and Ghazvin). He then went to Shiraz, through Isfahan, and in June, 1863, he reached Kharazm (Central Asia). Throughout this time, he succeeded in maintaining his disguise as Reshid Efendi, so that upon his arrival at the Khanate of Khiva he managed to keep up appearances during interviews with Khan Sayyid Muhammad. Together with his band of travelers, he then crossed Bokhara and arrived at Samarkand. Initially, he aroused the suspicions of the local ruler, who kept him in an audience for a full half-hour. Vambery managed to maintain his pretences, and left the audience laden with gifts. Upon leaving Samarkand, Vambery began making his way back to Constantinople, traveling by way of Herat. There he took leave of the band of dervishes and joined a caravan to Tehran, and from there, via Trebizond and Erzurum, to Constantinople, arriving there in March 1864
After spending about a year in Constantinople, he published a German-Turkish dictionary in 1858. Later, he also published various other linguistic works. He also learned some twenty other Turkish languages and dialects. Returning to Budapest in 1861, he received a stipend of a thousand florins from the academy, and in the autumn of the same year, disguised as a Sunni dervish, and under the name of Reshid Efendi, he set out from Constantinople. His route lay from Trebizond on the Black Sea to Tehran in Persia, where he joined a band of pilgrims returning from Mecca, spending several months with them traveling across Central Iran (Tabriz, Zanjan, and Ghazvin). He then went to Shiraz, through Isfahan, and in June, 1863, he reached Kharazm (Central Asia). Throughout this time, he succeeded in maintaining his disguise as Reshid Efendi, so that upon his arrival at the Khanate of Khiva he managed to keep up appearances during interviews with Khan Sayyid Muhammad. Together with his band of travelers, he then crossed Bokhara and arrived at Samarkand. Initially, he aroused the suspicions of the local ruler, who kept him in an audience for a full half-hour. Vambery managed to maintain his pretences, and left the audience laden with gifts. Upon leaving Samarkand, Vambery began making his way back to Constantinople, traveling by way of Herat. There he took leave of the band of dervishes and joined a caravan to Tehran, and from there, via Trebizond and Erzurum, to Constantinople, arriving there in March 1864
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews