Record Number: 33981

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

A delightful Persian in Basra, Mirza Muhammed, keeps — entirely for his own pleasure — a priceless collection of Persian and Arabian MSS. I can't tell you what a lovely morning I spent there. An MS. belonging to Saladin, with his name in it, an MS. of the 8th century A.D., and one stamped by the 4th Sultan of the family of Tamerlane — and such lovely illuminated pages in the later ones — treasures beyond price.

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 31 Mar 1937 and 9 Apr 1937

Country:

Iraq

Time

morning

Place:

city: Basra
specific address: home of Mirza Muhammad

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Freya Stark

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

31 Jan 1893

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Explorer and travel writer

Religion:

Christian

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

Iraq

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

[Anon] [Anon]

Title:

[unidentified manuscript belonging to Saladin]

Genre:

Unknown

Form of Text:

Manuscript: Codex

Publication Details

unknown, but owned by Saladin, so earlier than 1193 AD

Provenance

read in situ
Private collection of Mirza Muhammed

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Source Information:

Record ID:

33981

Source:

Print

Author:

Freya Stark

Editor:

n/a

Title:

The Coast of Incense: Autobiography 1933-1939

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1953

Vol:

n/a

Page:

143

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Freya Stark, The Coast of Incense: Autobiography 1933-1939, (London, 1953), p. 143, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=33981, accessed: 19 April 2024

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Additional Comments:

Dame Freya Madeline Stark (31 January 1893-9 May 1993) was a British explorer and travel writer. It is unclear whether Stark's reading of the manuscript owned by Saladin is in Arabic or Persian, though it is more likely to be in Arabic (Saladin's mother tongue).