The Other Frankish (the Europeans) in the Crusades According to Usama Ibn Mungidh and Ibn Jubayr

Abstract

This current study examines the image of the "Frankish other" (the European) in the Crusades according to Ibn Munqidh in Kitab al-I‘tibar and Ibn Jubayr in Risalat al-Nasik fi Dhikr al-Athar al-Karimah wa al-Manasik, known as Ibn Jubayr journey. The study explains how the image of the European was formed in the Arab mindset during that period.  This paper dealt with religious tendencies, customs, and traits of the Franks, their medical treatments and the image of women. The researchers adopted the descriptive-analytical methodology to illustrate this image. The study reached several results, the most important of which were Arab travelers had a relatively consistent view of Europeans, often perceiving them as the opposite of the Muslim Arab, as many European customs were surprising and curiosity to Arab travelers. The Crusades represented a defining moment in shaping the Muslim Arab’s perception of the European other.