Volume 1

An account of the manners and customs of the modern Egyptians, written in Egypt during the years 1833, -34, and -35, partly from notes made during a former visit to that country in the years 1825, -26, -27, and -28 / By Edward William Lane.

  • Lane, Edward William, 1801-1876.
Date:
1836
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An account of the manners and customs of the modern Egyptians, written in Egypt during the years 1833, -34, and -35, partly from notes made during a former visit to that country in the years 1825, -26, -27, and -28 / By Edward William Lane. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    in a year after my arrival here, I was able to converse, with the people among whom I was residing, with tolerable ease. I have associated, almost exclusively, with Moos'lims, of various ranks in society: I have lived as they live, conforming with their general habits; _ and, in order to make them familiar and unreserved to- wards me on every subject, have always avowed my agreement with them in opinion whenever my con- science would allow me, and in most other cases, re- frained from the expression of my dissent, as well as from every action which might give them disgust ; abstaining from eating food forbidden by their religion, and drinking wine, &c.; and even from habits merely disagreeable to them; such as the use of knives and forks at meals. Having made myself acquainted with all their common religious ceremonies, I have been able to escape exciting, in strangers, any suspicion of my being a person who had no right to intrude among them, whenever it was necessary for me to witness any Mohhammadan rite or festival. While, from the dress which I have found most convenient to wear, I am generally mistaken, in public, for a Turk, my acquaint- ances, of course, know me to be an Englishman ; but I constrain them to treat me as a Moos'lim, by my