Dimensions
160 x 233 x 36mm
Burckhardt was the first European to enter Petra and to discover the colossal figures at Abu Simbel. He penetrated as far as Mecca where he lived for many months as an Arab. He died in 1817 while in his early thirties, worn out by his prodigious feats.
Sir Joseph Banks, sponsor of the African Association, convinced Burckhardt to try to get to Timbuktu and the upper reaches of the Niger travelling west with pilgrim caravans from Mecca. This would only be possible for an explorer who could pass as an Arab. Burckhardt's imagination was kindled by this difficult and dangerous mission. He set out from Britain in the spring of 1809 - never to return.
