Do Práglu pojedu

Všimol som si trend farbisto opisovať miesta akademického pôsobenia. Rád by som sa pridal, ako som už bol neraz spomínal, chystám sa do Prahy, ale hoci som už v Prahe bol, netrúfal by som si ešte vyrieknuť nejaké súdy. Rozhodol som sa tak obrátiť na autoritu, ktorá už v Prahe v minulosti bola a prebývala a zanechala svoje dojmy v písomnej podobe.

A snáď nie je osoby povolanejšej než Ibrahim ibn Ya'qub al-Isra'ili al-Turtushi, človek, ktorého snáď ani nie je nutné predstavovať a preto si ho v krátkosti predstavíme.

V druhej polke 10. storočia vyslal kalif z Córdoby diplomatickú misiu do Nemecka k cisárovi Ottovi I. (bolo to revanš za podobný exkurz zo strany Franských psov), ktorá prešla aj územím Čiech a Poľska. Jej členom bola aj náš kamarát a vzdelanec Ibrahim ibn Ya'qub al-Isra'ili al-Turtushi, ktorého záznam z ciest sa zachoval len v útržkoch a o cieli mojej cesty napísal totok:

"Bohemia: This is the land of King Boyslav. Its length from the city of Prague to the city of Cracow is a three-week journey, and its march is lengthwise with the lands of the Turks. The city of Prague is built of stone and chalk and is the richest in trade of all these lands. The Russians and the Slavs bring goods there from Cracow; Muslims, Jews, and Turks from the land of the Turks also bring goods and market weights; and they carry away slaves, tin, and various kinds of fur. Their country is the best of all those of the Northern peoples, and richest in provender. For one penny, enough flour is sold there to suffice a man for a month, and for the same sum enough barley to fodder a ridding animal for forty nights; ten hens are sold there for a penny.
In the city of Prague they make saddles, bridles, and flimsy leather bucklers that are used in those parts. And in the land of Bohemia they make light, fine kerchiefs like nets, embroidered with crescents which are of no use for anything. Their price there at all times is ten kerchiefs for a penny. With these they trade and deal with one another and they possess vases of them. They regard them as money, and the most costly things are bought with them, wheat, slaves, horses, gold, silver, and all things. It is remarkable that the people of Bohemia are dark and black-haired; blonds are rare among them..." [1]

Nuž do takej krajiny sa ja hotujem.

[1] Bernard Lewis, The Muslim Discovery of Europe (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1982), s. 145



Update: Pozerám, že správa Ibráhím ibn Jákúba je dostupná aj po česky. Kiež by som to vedel predtým, než som to začal z knihy prepisovať.