Leo africanus book description of africa

For several years he traveled up and down the length of italy, perfecting his mastery of italian. Through his descriptions, europeans formed an image of timbuktu as an exotic, mysterious, ancient, and inaccessible locale, making it the subject of fantasy and legend for years to come. Al maroni was brought to the vatican from lebanon in 1515 by the pope leo x. Title page of leo africanus s description of africa, published in 1550. The book was regarded among his scholarly peers in europe as the most authoritative treatise on the subject until the modern exploration of africa.

Hasan and his family were forced to flee to fez, where he grew up and became a very welloff merchant. The life and travels of leo africanus quintus curtius. Leo africanus is a 1986 novel written in french by amin maalouf, depicting the life of a historical renaissanceera traveler, leo africanus. Joannes leo africanus, c leo africanus book description of africa. Description of timbuktu from the description of africa. The name by which leo is known today, leo africanus leo the african, stems from his reputation for writing the definitive european book on africa.

Little is actually known of the early life of leo except that. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. It is also thought to have influenced shakespeare in his depiction of othellos virtues and vices who was the moorish author. While in rome, he wrote the first trilingual dictionary latin, arabic and hebrew, as well as his celebrated description of africa, for which he is still remembered as leo africanus. In about 1494, leo africanus was born in granada, a city at the foot of the sierra nevada. A geographical historie of africa 1600 was the authoritative work on the geography of africa at the time and was significant in shaping the idea of africa for early modern europeans. This is taken from john porys translation of 1600 modified in places with that of francis moore in 1738. He was a 16th century historian, diplomat, author and a. Since very little is actually known about his life, the book fills in the historical episodes, placing leo in the company of many of the key historical figures of his time, including three popes, leo x, adrian vi, and pope clement vii, two ottoman. Born a muslim called hasan alwazzan in the 1480s, he became a christian called leo africanus. The history and description of africa volume 3 book.

Little is actually known of the early life of leo except that he was born in granada and later. His work, the history and description of africa and of the notable things therein contained, was translated from arabic for the first time into latin in 1526. The history and description of africa and of the notable things therein contained volume 1 of the history and description of africa. History and description of africa 1526 leo africanus introduction alhassan ibnmuhammad alwazzan alfasi, better known as leo africanus, was probably born in the 1460s in granada, the last muslim toehold in spain, but was raised in fez in modern morocco. Description of timbuktu from the description of africa 1526 november 4, 2016 elizabeth. Leo africanus description of west africa 1500 leo africanus. Johannes leo africanus and the recorded legacy of timbuktu. Leo africanus is a beautiful book of tales about people who are forced. If i had put down that bloody book and looked out of the bloody. Plus, free twoday shipping for six months when you sign up for amazon prime for students. Leo africanus and the rewriting of history from below. Ibn alwazzan, known to the west as leo africanus or leo the african, is the writer of description of africa, an authoritative early modern account of. The history and description of africa v1 by africanus, leo author jan172007 paperback. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from christopher columbus to sir francis drake, and covering voyages to the new world, to china and japan, to russia and to africa and india.

Leo africanus writings on africa had a considerable influence on all later writers on africa. Joannes leo africanus was a berber andalusi diplomat and author who is best known for his book descrittione dell africa centered on the geography of the maghreb and nile valley. The history and description of africa africanus, leo on. Leo africanuss geographical history of africa the british library. In the following excerpts, leo describes several states he visited in the western part of the sudan, the extensive grasscovered plain that stretches across africa south of the sahara.

Were considering expanding this synopsis into a fulllength study guide to deepen your comprehension of the book and why its important. In the italian version of the book, the description of africa, al. The history and description of africa by leo, africanus, ca. Cambridge core historical geography the history and description of africa by leo africanus edited by robert brown. Leo africanus was an earlysixteenthcentury traveler who recorded in great detail the life of many remote african kingdoms. When leo x died in 1521, leo africanus found himself without an advocate in high places, and he realized it was time to lie low for a while. Book from the collections of harvard university language english volume 1.

This summary of leo africanus includes a complete plot overview spoilers included. Before which is prefixed a generall description of africa, and a particular treatise of all the lands undescribed. Description of africa, a largely firsthand geographical book, which was published under the title della descrittione dell africa et delle cose notabili che ivi sono by giovanni battista ramusio in his collection of travellers accounts delle navigationi e viaggi in venice in 1550, contained the first detailed descriptions published in europe of the barbary coast modern morocco, algeria, and. On a camel moving forward in time the new york times. For this work, leo became a household name among european geographers. In 1550, leo africanus, a muslimborn diplomat and traveler who served pope leo x, produced the first geographical description of africa to.

Joannes leo africanus was a berber andalusi diplomat and author who is best known for his book descrittione dellafrica description of africa centered on the. And of the notable things therein contained, leo africanus issues 9294 of works issued by the hakluyt society. Leo africanus and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. On march 10, 1526, he finished the italian manuscript of the book that gave him his most famous name, leo africanus. The book was dictated in italian by leo africanus, the famed moorish traveler and merchant who had been captured by pirates and sold as a slave. The description of africa by leo africanus historywiz. A geographical historie of africa, written in arabicke and italian. Leo africanus s eyewitness stories of his travels and descriptions of timbuktu in his book description of africa 1550 for centuries caravan travel was the central means of transportation for goods traded between the mediterranean and the sudan. It recounts his observations during his travels in africa and became a principal source of european knowledge of the region. The history and description of africa by leo africanus.

The history and description of africa volume 3 by leo. History and description of africa 1526 leo africanus. Skip to main content this banner text can have markup. A historic explorer leads the way on an epic african journey. Joannes leo africanus, was a berber andalusi diplomat and author who is best known for his book descrittione dell africa describing the geography of north africa. A portrait of alhasan ibn muhammad alwazzan, known as leo africanus in the west.

Leo africanus, traveler whose writings remained for some 400 years one of europes principal sources of information about islam. For all the buckles that get swashed in leo the african, this is a book of understanding. At the end of the first book of leo africanuss description of africa, the author reflects, through two stories, on his extraordinary situation. Leo s description of timbuctoo, having visited the city twice. The book was first written in 1550 by a moorish traveller and. The book, a detailed account of africa, its trade routes, geography, terrain, and people was an exceptionally important source of information on the continent and is generally considered the first book written by a person of primarily african descent. Hasan ibn muhammad alwazzan, better known as joannes leo africanus, was born in the muslim kingdom of granada just a few years before it. Moorish man of learning is a brief introduction to leo. He was captured by a sicilian pirate and taken back to rome as a gift to pope leo x, who baptized him johannes leo. The book was first written in 1550 by a moorish traveller and linguistic scholar known as john leo africanus c.