The earliest surviving instance of sustained firstperson travel narrative in ArabicMission to the Volga is a pioneering text of peerless historical and literary value. In its pages we move north on a diplomatic mission from Baghdad to the upper reaches of the Volga River in what is now central Russia. In this colorful documentary from the tenth century the enigmatic Ibn Fadlan relates his experiences as part of an embassy sent by Caliph alMuqtadir to deliver political and religious instruction to the recentlyconverted King of the Bulghars. During eleven months of grueling travel Ibn Fadlan records the marvels he witnesses on his journey including an aurora borealis and the white nights of the North. Crucially he offers a description of the Viking Rus including their customs clothing body painting and a striking account of a ship funeral. Together these anecdotes illuminate a vibrant world of diversity during the heyday of the Abbasid Empire narrated with as much curiosity and zeal as they were perceived by its observant beholder.An Englishonly edition.