Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-madinah and Meccah

by Richard Francis Burton

Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS (1821-1890) was a British explorer, geographer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer, and diplomat. He was famed for his travels and explorations in Asia, Africa and America, as well as for his extraordinary knowledge of languages (purportedly he spoke 29 European, Asian and African languages) and cultures. His best known achievements include: a well-documented journey to Mecca in disguise at a time when Europeans were forbidden access on pain of death; an unexpurgated translation of One Thousand and One Nights (commonly called The Arabian Nights); the publication of the Kama Sutra in English; a translation of The Perfumed Garden (the Arab Kama Sutra); and his journey with John Hanning Speke as the first Europeans to visit the Great Lakes of Africa in search of the source of the Nile. Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah and Meccah (1855) describes the 1853 journey to make a Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) which was to make Burton famous, detailing the laborious preparation and disguises he employed to avoid detection as a European which would have meant certain death, and the dangers encountered en route, including his caravan's attack by bandits. Reprinted from the Memorial Edition of 1893 which includes a preface by his widow, Lady Isabel Burton.

Genres: Travel, History, Nonfiction, Adventure, Middle East, Islam, Religion

292 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1856

About the author

Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS was a British geographer, explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat. He was known for his travels and explorations within Asia, Africa and the Americas as well as his extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures. According to one count, he spoke 29 European, Asian, and African languages.

Burton's best-known achievements include travelling in disguise to Mecca, an unexpurgated translation of One Thousand and One Nights (also commonly called The Arabian Nights in English after Andrew Lang's adaptation), bringing the Kama Sutra to publication in English, and journeying with John Hanning Speke as the first Europeans led by Africa's greatest explorer guide, Sidi Mubarak Bombay, utilizing route information by Indian and Omani merchants who traded in the region, to visit the Great Lakes of Africa in search of the source of the Nile. Burton extensively criticized colonial policies (to the detriment of his career) in his works and letters. He was a prolific and erudite author and wrote numerous books and scholarly articles about subjects including human behaviour, travel, falconry, fencing, sexual practices, and ethnography. A unique feature of his books is the copious footnotes and appendices containing remarkable observations and unexpurgated information.

He was a captain in the army of the East India Company serving in India (and later, briefly, in the Crimean War). Following this he was engaged by the Royal Geographical Society to explore the east coast of Africa and led an expedition guided by the locals and was the first European to see Lake Tanganyika. In later life he served as British consul in Fernando Po, Santos, Damascus and, finally, Trieste. He was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and was awarded a knighthood (KCMG) in 1886.

Reviews

[Yann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ce livre est la traduction d'extraits des écrits de Richard Francis Burton, un explorateur anglais du XIXèeme siècle, aventurier doué pour les langues et doté d'un tempérament courageux et railleur. Dans cet ouvrage, il est question du voyage haut en couleur qu'il effectue pour accomplir le Hadj, pèlerinage sur les lieu saints de l'Islam à l'époque sous domination Ottomane. N'étant pas lui-même musulman, mais maitrisant parfaitement plusieurs langues orientales, il se déguise au départ de l'Angleterre, et se fait passer en Égypte pour un Afghan. Le voyage est loin d'être de tout repos, principalement du fait que la route, par la mer ou à travers le désert, est peu sûre. Ce n'est pas sans rappeler les histoires des pèlerins sur le chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle qui doivent bien souvent faire les frais de coquins.

Le récit est passionnant, et outre son caractère testimonial, l'auteur fait preuve d'humour et de sang-froid britannique dans les situations de danger, ce qui rajoute du sel à sa narration. En se liant à la foule bigarrée des pèlerins, en partageant leurs peines et leurs épreuves, il a l'occasion de les pratiquer, et donne ainsi une infinité d'indications sur les mœurs et leurs caractères dans des portraits sans préjugés ni complaisance, mais fondés sur l'observation et l'expérience. La description des lieux saints ne manque pas de grandeur, et il ne voile ni le bien, ni le mal qu'il pense de ce qu'il voit.

C'est aussi l'occasion de s'imprégner du contexte politique de l'époque et de la région, où le wâhhabisme est en rivalité avec d'autres courants dans la péninsule arabique, et dont le penchant iconoclaste fait du tort aux activités des cités réputés pour leurs prétendus vestiges. Une lecture aussi passionnante qu'instructive, mais aussi une rencontre avec auteur qui est célébré pour sa maitrise des langues orientales et ses traductions.

[Monty Milne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burton, disguised as an Afghan, is taking a rest with his fellow pilgrims and enjoying a pull on his hookah when a stern faced Wahhabi Puritan wags his finger threateningly at him, because he considers smoking to be un-Islamic. Burton, deliberately affecting a misunderstanding, genially offers his pipe to the Wahhabi, inviting him to take a pull. In response, the enraged fanatic pulls out a knife – at which point Burton and his companions present their cocked pistols….

That gives a flavour of this remarkable narrative by a very remarkable person. Most people were entirely taken in by his disguise – not least because of his extraordinary facility for languages and his remarkable erudition. There are times when the narrative becomes a little tedious – he is obsessively interested in every crumbling ruin, and some of his disquistions try the reader’s patience – as he himself acknowledges. But, overall, I found this utterly compelling. Not least for the thought that at any moment discovery would have resulted in his instant death – not, it is true, at the hands of the Ottoman soldiers who were technically responsible for the safety of the pilgrims, but certainly at the hands of the Wahhabi fanatics. Burton is prescient in his observation that eventually the Wahhabis would oust the Turks and come to rule the place for themselves – even though that was not to happen until after his lfetime.

Burton was not, of course, the first European to do the pilgrimage, and his appendices contain some fascinating extracts from the writings of some of those who preceded him. And there were, of course, European converts to Islam – whether willing or not – and many Europeans who found themselves being exhibited for sale in Meccah’s slave market. But there were only a handful who left any records, and Burton’s account is by far the fullest and most interesting.

The poverty, the heat, the flies and the smells are all vividly described. The footnotes are as fascinating as the text – even though he coyly reverts to Latin when describing subjects indelicate to Victorian tastes, such as female genital mutilation, or – bizarrely – a consideration of Arab penis size. As the pilgrimages brought a great inflow of wealth into what was at that time a place almost entirely devoid of natural resources, he considers whether pilgrimage is really all about money. But he concludes that it is the piety which comes first, and that the commerce is merely an adjunct.

Burton does go for some broad and sweeping generalisations of different ethnic and religious groups which does not play well with modern sensibilities. It is clear that the fanaticism of the Wahhabi puritans is something that he finds distasteful (as surely anyone would unless they shared that same fanaticism). But he is always ready to give credit where it is due: when the pilgrim caravan is attacked by a horde of bandits, the escort of Turkish irregular cavalry show themselves to be entirely useless, while the Wahhabi pilgrims immediately and bravely advance to take the fight to the bandits. (Burton, meanwhile, showing admirable sang froid, calls loudly for his supper, earning great admiration from his rattled servant).

Was Burton wrong to do what he did? He became so immersed in his part (and indeed he was so immersed in Islamic theology and poetry already) that I wondered if any part of him was genuinely affected by the experience. When he spent all night repeating fervent prayers out loud, for example, was he just play acting, or was part of him genuinely entering into some kind of spiritual experience? I think the answer to that is probably no. On reaching his goal, he has an exaltation of feeling, but when he compares it with those around him, he writes:

“Theirs was the high feeling of religious enthusiasm, mine was the ecstasy of gratified pride.”

The deceit involved in his exploit is something that I cannot entirely approve, but I am nevertheless very glad to have read this fascinating and entertaining account.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

My birthday present from my wife. It's a huge tome & really nice, so I hate to schlep it about in my lunch box. I'm going to alternate reading it at home with the audio edition. It's 30 hours, free from Librivox & of varied quality. It's nice to back this up with real book & even an ebook available from Archive.org here.

It's a really long book & often dwells on trivia. Much of it is interesting; attitudes, customs, & everyday life from this area in 1851. This is before the Suez Canal was dug, but there is mention of it & a bit about the arguments for & against. Burton is not shy about mentioning where the British Empire is wrong. His trials to get a visa as a native were quite frustrating.

In chapter 6, "The Mosque", he starts getting too detailed for me. His observations on the architecture were interesting, but he goes into the education & studies of the religion & language derivation far too much for me. I'm not knocking him for it. By some accounts, he spoke 29 languages & he's passing as a native in order to get into Mecca, a city closed to outsiders. He has to know all this & he's right to share it. It's just TMI for me, so I'm skimming some.

He has an uncanny knack for understatement. ... mounted on wretched donkeys with pack-saddles, ignorant of stirrups, and without tails, whilst we ourselves suffered generally from boils, which, as usual upon a journey, make their appearance in localities the most inconvenient. If you've ever suffered a "rising in a tender spot" & yet been forced to ride, you'll get this. If not, look up the perineum issues bicyclists have today & then imagine these issues with the poor hygiene & lack of germ theory.

Burton seems a lot better than most of his time & station. He's certainly not politically correct by the standards of his own age or ours, but some reviews of this book ding him for his prejudices. IMO, he's earned his right to them. He's well educated by his curiosity & has gained his knowledge through first hand experience & that does lead to general observations of various peoples. He is quick to point out exceptions & where he was wrong.

One of the overriding themes seems to be just how useless the men are that he's hanging around with. They don't do much save for smoke, drink coffee, & talk. They spend far too much time on trivial, worthless religious stuff, too. It's really ridiculous how their whole society revolves around a fantasy.

It's LONG. I increasingly skimmed & skipped after the first third or so. Too much repetitive detail.

[Ciara Houghton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton's 19th travelogue is simply fascinating. In disguise and (I'm assuming he's accurate in this) at great risk to himself, Burton made a pilgrimage to Medina and Mecca. His intimate observations of customs, daily life, and travel in a foreign land are the sort that one sees best through the fresh eyes of an outsider, but normally an outsider would be denied that vantage. Burton pulled it off, and he did a damned good job of putting it all on paper.

I don't care much for Burton himself, but neither did Victorian society. If we met in person I'd probably consider him as genuinely dangerous as he is morally offensive, but none of that prevents me from appreciating his peculiar sort of genius. If you have them, I recommend overlooking any reservations you may have about the man. The Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah and Meccah is too rich a treasure to ignore.

[Jackson Cyril · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much indeed has been written about Burton's travels to Mecca and Medina. Much of this has been condemnation from scholars who see in Burton another example of imperialist arrogance. These accusations are, to some degree, correct. But what is often overlooked is Burton's pursuit to master the languages of the Middle East (and South Asia) and his eventual mastery of over two dozen of them-- also overlooked is the genuine curiosity and oftentimes cultural humility that animates this work. Burton was no Macaulay, passing judgement on all and sundry without careful and deliberate study. He approached his subject with the genuine spirit of a scholar and student, spent years studying the cultures and habits of the peoples of the Middle East, observing their rituals, reading their books, mingling among their peoples, interacting with personages both high and low, and it is that curious spirit, that makes this book a riveting as well as an edifying read.

[Aurelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ce que j ai trouvé intéressant dans ce livre, ce n ai pas sa narration, ni la nouveauté de ce qu' il raconte,puisque d autres européen ont déjà accompli le hadj avant le capitaine burton,mais plutôt tous les aspects politiques et sociaux, relatifs au contexte historique de cette période.
Il est toujours fascinant de voir comment les peuple de cette région vivaient a cette époque, surtout dans le contexte d aujourdhui,ou on ne parle que du fanatisme et des schismes et guerre entre différentes sectes.
Cette région a certes toujours été un lieu de rencontre de gens très très différents, et c est ce que j ai constatée en lisant ce livre, mais a cette époque je pense qu' il y avait bcp moins de sensibilité religieuse et sectaire que maintenant.

[Alia Makki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm currently recording and editing the book's audio version. Coming from a third generation mutawwif family, this book touches the deepest vein in my Saudi heritage.

Yea, I really did put all three words in a single sentence, didn't I? Let's do it again and watch the fireworks go off.
My.
Saudi.
Heritage.

Wow.

The reason why I'm reviewing this book is because we're short on Proof Listeners. I want to finish all recording files - Inshallah - before Christmas, and would love if you could lend an ear while tinkering with the dishes/laundry/the long drive home.

A word of precaution, my English is as broken as my Arabic, but you get LOADS of GOOD KARMA for inflating a girl's ego by helping send this project into the IMMORTAL embrace of the public domain.

Namaste.

[Antonio Aguilar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Releer a Burton es siempre una delicia. No se trata de una obra sencilla, ni de animada narrativa, ni mucho menos un relato de viajes al uso. Burton es un espíritu aventurero, crítico con los demás y consigo mismo, pero sobre todo es un enorme observador de lo que le rodea. Valga el ejemplo el más de dos decenas de lenguas que aprendió para poder profundizar más en los pueblos con los que convivía y sus costumbres. Son esas notas, tan variopintas como el diferente tipo de tabaco que se fuma en Egipto y el motivo de esas diferencias hasta la esclavitud o costumbres religiosas lo que, a mi juicio, le valen su fama, y lo que hacen que libros como éste en el que camuflado como un derviche persa consigue peregrinar a La Meca y otros lugares sagrados de Arabia sin ser descubierto como infiel. Burton es un poquito del viajero que siempre quise ser.

[Gary Land · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burton's Secret Pilgrimage is one of the great travel and adventure stories of the nineteenth century. Unbelievers are not allowed to make this pilgrimage but Burton was able to pass as an Indian physician. The travel portions were quite interesting, as Burton negotiates with various merchants, camel drivers, caravan leaders, etc. and has to make his way through overheated deserts and bandit-infested territory. Less interesting were the descriptions of visits to the various Muslim shrines in Mecca and Medina, but they don't really detract from the book overall.

[Mehdi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn't want to read about the secret pilgrimage to Mecca made by a British adventurer in the mid-1800s? Funded by the Royal Geographic Society, Burton embarks on a voyage through Cairo, Suez, Medine and finally Mecca, which he's one of the first Europeans (and Christians) to visit. Burton's fluent Arabic and prior exposure to the Muslim world allows him to successfully disguise himself throughout his journey. Fascinating and deeply entertaining read.

[Rob Mcke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing adventure, inspired me to see the world and experience as much as possible

[Abu Raihan Khalid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book.

I read the Project Gutenberg ebook version, stripped of niceties, much like studying a scientific record, not a book.

Honest and covers many such old records. Excellent.

I was reading to get the lives and culture of the people of Mecca and Medina of that time for my research.

[Youssef · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sir Richard Buton is a genius and his ability to captivate minute details is out of this world.

[Giovanni Maria Mattioli Belmonte Cima]

Figata

[Paky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tiene el su valor inherente como documento histórico, testimonio directo de mediados del siglo XIX de la peregrinación y entrada de un occidental en la ciudad santa del Islam. Nos describe con detalle las costumbres y ritos, con referencias también a otros viajeros anteriores. Desde luego merece la pena, aunque la lectura me ha resultado poco fluida, a veces poco clara.

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sir Richard Burton was one of the first and one of the few Europeans to do the pilgrimage to Mecca, disguised as an Afghan Moslem. He set out in April 1853 and finished his pilgrimage in September, months in which he travelled with Arabs and Egyptians, Syrians, Persians and Turks, sharing their habits and traditions, their fear and joys, their friendship. But always with the risk that they might uncover his farce which would have likely meant his death.

He describes his travels and what he learned from the different cultures in (sometimes too lengthy) detail. The historical information about different places of worship and cities, the description of the landscapes and of the different pilgrims and their status amongst each other is highly interesting, even 160 years later. At the same time he sometimes uses a language full of wit and even sarcasm, which sometimes I found too harsh, e. g. talking about infant Bedouins: “I willingly parted with a few paras for the purpose of establishing an intercourse with fellow creatures so fearfully and wonderfully resembling the tail-less baboon.”

I would have given this read easily 4 stars, only that I read the free download version on “Play Books” which is missing several pages and is generally a quality not be recommended.

[Galicius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read excerpts "A Journey in Disguise from The Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to El Medinah and Meccah" and "En Route from A Pilgrimage to El Medinah and Meccah." What was possible in the nineteenth Century certainly wouldn't be possible now although it took extraordinary courage then.