Abu dhabi: The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is showcasing a remarkable collection of rare books and manuscripts, including “Journey to the Holy Land” by Ludolphus de Zuchen. According to National Iraqi News Agency, Peter Harrington, a prominent rare book dealer, has returned to the fair with an extensive collection that spans more than six centuries of Middle Eastern history. This collection highlights pilgrimage, religion, diplomacy, exploration, transport, archaeology, and the formation of the modern Middle East.

A standout item in this year’s exhibition is Ludolphus de Zuchen’s “A Journey to the Holy Land,” printed in Strasbourg between 1475 and 1480. Priced at £200,000, it is one of the earliest printed eyewitness accounts of life in the Levant during the Middle Ages. This book is valued as the most significant 14th-century European account of the Holy Land under the Mamluk Sultanate, preceding Bernhard von Breydenbach’s well-known 1483 work. Peter Harrington notes that only two other copies of this edition have surfaced in the past 60 years.

Ludolphus de Zuchen, a German clergyman, traveled between 1336 and 1341, creating more than just a travelogue. His work served as a practical guide for medieval pilgrims, detailing navigation, routes, holy sites, and accommodations. His observations offer a detailed record of landmarks, religious buildings, and the lives of the region’s communities, highlighting interactions among Muslims, Christians, and Jews. His travels included Egypt, the Red Sea coast, Palestine, Acre, Gaza, Caesarea, Deir Yassin, and Dura.

Peter Harrington’s display at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair provides a broader understanding of the region’s history with rare books, manuscripts, and archives attracting collectors. Other highlights include three rare works on the Hejaz Railway’s construction, featuring an official Ottoman map from 1903, a Western eyewitness account from 1905, and a 1914 Ottoman decree for the railway’s extension through Jenin and Nablus. The exhibition also features materials on Palestine during the late Ottoman period and the British Mandate, including the “Guide to Central Palestine.”