This Italian aristocrat was a traveler and writer, whose own travelogue serves as the primary source of information about his life. Driven by courage and curiosity, he achieved the distinction of being the first non-Muslim European to enter Mecca as a pilgrim. His writing provides a unique perspective on the world through the eyes of an early 16th-century adventurer. He documented his experiences with remarkable detail, leaving behind a valuable historical and cultural record.
Zu Beginn des 16. Jahrhunderts reiste der Bologneser Ludovico de Varthema als Mameluk verkleidet über Ägypten und Syrien durch die arabische Halbinsel und berichtete als erster Europäer von den heiligen Stätten des Islam, Medina und Mekka, und von den Ritualen des Hadj, aber auch aus dem Süden Indiens.