A day in the life of a teenager in medieval Baghdad - Birte Kristiansen and Petra Sijpesteijn
The Journey Begins: Hisham and Asma's Pilgrimage
Setting the Scene
- The story unfolds in 791 CE at the Golden Gate Palace, where siblings Hisham and Asma prepare for their hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
- The Abbasid Caliphate is thriving, with its capital, Baghdad (Madinat al-Salaam), being one of the largest cities in the Islamic Empire.
The Hajj Caravan
- Hisham and Asma plan to travel with a large hajj caravan protected by caliph soldiers, including Caliph Al-Rashid himself.
- This caravan functions as a mobile city, comprising various roles such as soldiers, cooks, doctors, merchants, and enslaved individuals.
Challenges Ahead
- A last-minute issue arises when they learn that one of their camels has fallen ill; without it, they cannot join the caravan.
- They explore a bustling marketplace filled with diverse ethnicities and religions but find no available camels before departure.
Personal Aspirations
- Despite the religious significance of the hajj, both siblings have personal ambitions: Hisham aims to become a scholar while Asma seeks recognition as a poet.
- Hisham studies various subjects including Arabic grammar, Islamic law, Persian poetry, mathematics influenced by Indian thought, and Greek medicine.
Seeking Solutions
- The siblings split up to search for alternatives; Hisham consults scholars at a library complex for advice on obtaining another camel.
- He receives useful information from an elderly scholar about treating wounds and herbs for stomach issues during travel but struggles to find immediate help regarding his camel situation.