Band VIII. Die Halbinsel Arabien.
Die Erdkunde im Verhältniss zur Natur und zur Geschichte des Menschen,
oder Allgemeine Vergleichende Geographie, als sichere Grundlage des Studiums
und Unterrichts in Physikalischen und Historischen Wissenschaften.
[Volume VIII. The Arabian Peninsula.
Geography in Relation to Nature and the History of Mankind,
or General Comparative Geography as a Reliable Source for Studying
and Teaching History and Physical Science.]
Berlin: Gedruckt und verlegt, 1847. 8vo. xiv, 1057 pages, including index of names.
Text is in German. In original condition with continental paper boards and
rough cut edges. Hinge weak, wear to spine and boards, stamp to title page,
otherwise in very good condition, internally bright.
A thorough primary resource, this volume pertains to the Arabian Peninsula,
with descriptions of numerous cities and districts, some of which include Mecca
(Meccah), Jeddah, Al Hada in Yemen, Arafat, Medina (Medinah), Jebel Shammar
(Emirate of Ha'il), Dumat al-Jundal, and Wadi Al Sirhan. With a description of the coffee plant and references to Burkhardt's Travels in Syria, Forbes'
Oriental Memories, Porter's Travels in Asia, Humboldt's voyage, and others.
Also contains valuable information on ancient tribes of Thamud, Bedouin, and
Wahabbi (a conservative form of Sunni Islam), as well as commentary on the Hajj
- the largest annual pilgrimage in the world, the fifth pillar of Islam, and a Muslim demonstration of the solidarity to Allah. This is volume 8 of Ritter's monumental multi-volume geographical work.
Carl Ritter (Karl Ritter) (1779-1859), was a German geographer, and a founder of modern human geography, along with Alexander von Humboldt. In 1819 Ritter became professor of history at Frankfurt, and in 1820 he received a teaching appointment in history at the University of Berlin. Ritter received his doctorate there, and was appointed professor extraordinarius. He also lectured at a nearby military college.
Ritter was particularly interested in the exploration of Africa and held constant contacts with British scholars and scientific circles like the Royal Geographical Society. He was one of the academic teachers of the explorer Heinrich Barth, who traveled in Northern and Western Africa on behalf of the British government to negotiate treaties that were to stop the Trans-Saharan slave trade. Carl Ritter himself was a dedicated anti-slavery and anti-racism propagandist in Germany.
In 1822 Ritter was elected to the Prussian Academy of Sciences, and in 1824 he became a corresponding member of the Société Asiatique de Paris. In 1828, he established the Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin (Berlin Geographical Society). In 1856, he was appointed curator of the Royal Cartographic Institute of Prussia.
Ritter's impact on geography was especially notable because he brought forth a
new concept of the subject. In his view, "geography was a kind of physiology and
comparative anatomy of the earth: rivers, mountains, glaciers, &c., were so many
distinct organs, each with its own appropriate functions; and, as his physical frame
is the basis of the man, determinative to a large extent of his life, so the structure
of each country is a leading element in the historic progress of the nation."
Ritter's 19-volume work was intended as a world survey but was never completed and it covers only Asia and Africa. Ritther focused on regional geography, the study of the connections between phenomena in places. The first volume, on Africa, was published
in 1817 and brought him his appointment at the University of Berlin. From 1832
to his death he regularly published new volumes, chiefly on Asia.
The Thamud were a people of ancient Arabia who were known from the
1st millennium BC to near the time of Muhammad. Although they are thought to have originated in southern Arabia, Arabic tradition has them moving north to settle on
the slopes of Mount Athlab near Meda'in Saleh. Numerous Thamudic rock writings and
pictures have been found on Mount Athlab and throughout central Arabia.
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