Weird Treasure: Letters of Introduction

In the seventeenth century, an Iraqi named Elias al-Mûsili traveled throughout Latin America, armed with a thick stack of letters of introduction from some very prestigious people. With these letters, he was welcome just about anywhere ruled by Spain – and he accumulated more letters as he went. Historically, letters of introduction were boilerplate, a […]

Earnest Pleas in Early Muslim Poetry

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Saving or Sacrificing the Substitute King

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David Alroy, the Wizard-Messiah

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The Wonders of Sir John Mandeville (Asia)

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