Ahmad ibn Fadlan
Aḥmad ibn Faḍlān ibn al-ʿAbbās ibn Rāshid ibn Ḥammād, (Arabic: أحمد بن فضلان بن العباس بن راشد بن حماد; commonly known as Ahmad ibn Fadlan (or Ibn Foszlan in older European literature), was a 10th-century Arab traveler, famous for his account of his travels as a member of an embassy of the Abbasid caliph, al-Muqtadir of Baghdad, to the king of the Volga Bulgars, known as his risāla ("account" or "journal").
Ahmad ibn Fadlan | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Theological work | |
| Era | Islamic golden age |
| Main interests | Islamic jurisprudence |
His account is most notable for providing a detailed description of the Volga Vikings, including eyewitness accounts of life as part of a trade caravan and witnessing a ship burial. He also notably described the lifestyle of the Oghuz Turks while the Khazaria, Cumans, and Pechnegs were still around.
Ibn Fadlan's detailed writings have been cited by numerous historians. They have also inspired entertainment works, including Michael Crichton's novel Eaters of the Dead and its film adaptation The 13th Warrior.