Ibn Khurradadhbih's Book of Routes, with Sallam's journey to the Wall of Gog and Magog
An Abbasid postmaster's route book (c.846 to 885), including an envoy's tale of a great iron wall in the far north-east.
Full title Book of Routes and Realms: Arabic text with French translation ed. de Goeje (Leiden 1889), including the journey of Sallam the Interpreter to the wall of Gog and Magog
Ibn Khurradadhbih (d. c.912) was director of posts under the Abbasid caliphs and compiled the Book of Routes and Realms from official itineraries, c.846 and revised c.885. It lists roads from Iraq to Central Asia and China and the Turkic peoples along them. It also records the story he says Sallam the Interpreter told him: in 842 to 844 the caliph al-Wathiq sent Sallam to inspect the wall Alexander built against Gog and Magog. The corpus copy is de Goeje's Arabic text with French translation (BGA VI, Leiden 1889), quoted here from the French.
How they knew
From informants
Who “Tartar” means here
The word Tatar is not used. The 'Turks' of the steppe (Toghuzghuz or Uyghurs, Kimek, Ghuzz, Pechenegs, Kipchaks, Kirghiz, Qarluqs) live in the lands that later maps called Tartary, and Gog and Magog are placed beyond them.
Why read it
This is the root of the medieval 'Wall of Gog and Magog' that European maps placed in Tartary. It includes a traveller's claim to have passed twenty-seven days of ruined cities blamed on Gog and Magog.
Watch out
Scholars disagree whether Sallam reached a real Chinese frontier fort (perhaps near the Jade Gate or Hami) or whether the story is largely literary. The OCR of the French has lost its accents, which were restored in the quotes.
Editorial contextIn his own route list, Ibn Khurradadhbih says the Toghuzghuz khan's capital lay three months' march beyond Upper Nushajan, through pasture land with large villages. The king lived in a great city with twelve iron gates and had a golden tent on top of his palace, visible five parasangs away, while the Kimek king camped among pastures in tents. Steppe Turks here have both cities and tents.
From Upper Nushajan to the capital of the khaqan of the Toghuzghuz is three months' march, through pasture country covered with large villages … Their king lives in a great city closed by twelve iron gates … The king of the Toghuzghuz owns a golden tent set on the top of his palace; it can shelter a hundred people
Working translation
Original wording
De Nouschadjan la supérieure à la capitale du khakân des Toghozghor, il y a trois mois de marche, à travers un pays de pâturage couvert de vastes bourgades … Leur roi réside dans une grande ville fermée par douze portes de fer … Le roi des Toghozghor possède une tente d'or placée au faîte de son palais; elle peut abriter cent personnes
Ibn Khurradadhbih (French translation by M. J. de Goeje, 1889)
From route reports, not a visit. The capital is usually identified with the Uyghur city Ordu-Baliq (Karabalgasun) in the Orkhon valley, near later Karakorum.
Editorial contextSallam describes how the wall was built: foundations dug thirty cubits deep and laid in iron and copper, then two great jambs, all of iron bricks sheathed in copper, carrying a 120-cubit iron lintel. He credits the work to Dhu'l-Qarnayn, the Quran's 'two-horned' king, usually identified with Alexander. Nothing here is credited to the Turks.
The wall was built in the following way. First the ground was dug to a depth of 30 cubits and the foundations laid there, built of iron and copper up to ground level … The whole structure is made of iron bricks faced with copper, each a cubit and a half long and wide and 4 inches thick.
Working translation
Original wording
La muraille fut construite de la manière suivante. D'abord on creusa le sol jusqu'à une profondeur de 30 coudées et on y jeta les fondements qu'on construisit en fer et en cuivre jusqu'à ras de terre … Toute la construction se compose de briques de fer, revêtues de cuivre, dont chacune a une coudée et demie en long et en large sur 4 pouces d'épaisseur.
Sallam the Interpreter, as reported by Ibn Khurradadhbih (French translation by M. J. de Goeje, 1889)
Editorial contextAfter leaving the Khazar king, Sallam says, his party crossed a black, foul-smelling land, then travelled twenty (or twenty-seven) days among ruined cities. They were told these were the remains of cities overrun by Gog and Magog. Near the wall they found forts held by Arabic- and Persian-speaking Muslims with schools and mosques, who had never heard of the caliph.
we passed twenty (twenty-seven) days in the midst of ruined cities. We were told these were the remains of cities once invaded and laid waste by the peoples of Gog and Magog. At last we came to fortresses built near the mountains … There we found people who spoke Arabic and Persian. They are Muslims and can read the Koran
Working translation
Original wording
nous passâmes, durant vingt (vingt-sept) jours, au milieu de villes en ruine. On nous apprit que c'étaient les restes des villes envahies autrefois et dévastées par les peuples de Gog et Magog. Nous arrivâmes enfin à des forteresses bâties dans le voisinage des montagnes … Nous y trouvâmes des personnes qui parlaient l'arabe et le persan. Ils sont musulmans, sachant lire le Koran
Sallam the Interpreter, as reported by Ibn Khurradadhbih (French translation by M. J. de Goeje, 1889)
Editorial contextSallam asked the guards at the gate whether they had ever seen one of Gog and Magog. They said they had once glimpsed several on top of the mountain before a violent wind blew them back, and at that distance they looked no more than a span and a half tall. On the same page he describes the wall's striped look, yellow copper and black iron in alternate layers.
We asked the guards of the gate whether they had ever seen one of the race of Gog and Magog; they told us that one day they had glimpsed several on top of the mountain, but a violent wind had thrown them back to their own side. Seen at that distance, they seemed no taller than a span and a half.
Working translation
Original wording
Nous demandâmes aux gardiens de la porte s'ils avaient jamais vu un individu de la race de Gog et Magog; ils nous racontèrent qu'ils en avaient aperçu, un jour, plusieurs au-dessus de la montagne, mais qu'un vent impétueux les avait rejetés de leur côté. Vus à cette distance, leur taille ne paraissait pas dépasser un empan et demi.
Sallam the Interpreter, as reported by Ibn Khurradadhbih (French translation by M. J. de Goeje, 1889)
Hearsay from guards, told by Sallam; de Goeje's footnote discusses which side of the wall the wind blew them to.
The fine print
How we know
claimed or disputed Authorship, date or authenticity is claimed or contested.
compilation by the Abbasid postmaster from official route registers; the Sallam narrative (c.842-844) is reported informant testimony that the author says he heard from Sallam himself; disputed/claimed travel
Research notes
Sallam's journey is treated by some scholars as a genuine mission to the Jade Gate and by others as a literary construct; record the claim and the transmission separately. IA series metadata mislabels the volume (see Ibn Rusta record).
Why it matters
Contains the earliest itineraries across the Turkic steppe to China and the Sallam expedition, the Arabic source of the medieval and early-modern 'Gog and Magog wall' placed in Tartary on European maps.