Al-Franj: the Crusaders in the Levant
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Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
‘“… Muslim caravans go forth to Frankish lands, while Frankish captives enter Muslim lands.’”
Ibn Jubayr (539–613 / 1145–1217), a Muslim from Valencia in Spain, wrote an account of his travels to the Middle East. He describes in detail the Great Mosque in Damascus and other shrines in and near the city. When leaving Damascus in September of 580 / 1184 with a caravan of merchants heading for the old city of Acre (Akko) in Israel he writes: ‘One of the strangest things in the world is that Muslim caravans go forth to Frankish lands, while Frankish captives enter Muslim lands.’
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Pilgrim bottle
Hegira third quarter 7th century / AD third quarter 13th century Mamluk
The British Museum
London, England, United Kingdom
Probably intended as a gift, this highly decorative glass pilgrim's flask would have been carried in a leather container to protect it.
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