Johanna Engdahl about ”Wallin, Georg August, Skrifter. Bd 5, Norra Arabiska halvön och Persien 1847-1849”, utgivna av Kaj Öhrnberg ,2014

Johanna Engdahl about ”Wallin, Georg August, Skrifter. Bd 5, Norra Arabiska halvön och Persien 1847-1849”, utgivna av Kaj Öhrnberg ,2014

Why did I take this book from the library?

The reason was that I wanted to know more about Georg Wallin. He was born in Aland, Finland and is not famous there at all.

Georg Wallin was a scientist having a travelling scholarship from the Academy of sciences in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was studying Arabian language dialects and culture differences of Arabian and Persian people.

The book consists of a great number of Wallin’s letters to his friend and colleague Mr. Geitlin during his travelling in Egypt and Persia during 1847 -1849.

This correspondence is published in original Swedish from the 18th century.

Georg Wallin was acting as a true Arab called for Abd Olmaulà or Wali af Abd Olwali during sex years of his caravan life.

He described poetically all the details of the social life in Egypt and Persia and giving his own opinion as a researcher.

Geitlin’s letters concerned the situation in the scientific world in the Academy of sciences in St Petersburg, Russia and in the family & circle of friends.

I consider this book actual in our days and interesting for everybody who wants to know more about the Arabian and Middle East culture.

I recommend translating this book to English. It`s the example of the historical document which can have the significance for Arabian and Middle East world.

2015.10.02

Text: Johanna Engdahl, Ph.D. artist &writer

www.johannaengdahl.com