Francisco Alvares
For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle
Described by the dealer as a “major Renaissance travel book,” this 16th-century work includes an account of the journey of Portuguese diplomat and explorer Pero da Covilha in Arabia in the late 15th century, where he reportedly became the first European to enter Makkah, which he did disguised as a pilgrim. Covilha’s travels also took him to Jeddah, Madinah, and Mount Sinai. He ended up in Ethiopia, where he met Alvares 30 years later and recounted his journey to him.
Sikander Begum
In 1863, Begum — the ruler of the Indian state of Bhopal — performed Hajj. When she returned to India, she wrote this account of her travels, which was translated into English by Emma Laura Willoughby-Osborne, the wife of the UK’s political agent in Bhopal. The book was published in 1870 and is, the dealer says, “more than just an account of holy sites and rituals, (presenting) glimpses into the social and cultural life of Arabia, particularly the lives of women.”
