Travelogues Of Palestine Books and Works List

Travelogues of Palestine are the written descriptions of the region of Palestine by travellers, particularly prior to the 20th century. The works are important sources in the study of the history of Palestine and of Israel.

Surveys of the geographical literature on Palestine were published by Edward Robinson in 1841, Titus Tobler in 1867 and subsequently by Reinhold Röhricht in 1890. Röhricht catalogued 177 works between 333 and 1300 CE, 19 works in the 14th century, 279 works in the 15th century, 333 works in the 16th century, 390 works in the 17th century, 318 works in the 18th century and 1,915 works in the 19th century. Important early works include the early Christian pilgrim accounts Itinerarium Burdigalense, Itinerarium Egeriae and Itinerarium Placentinum. Notable Islamic works include the 11th century Safarnama of Nasir Khusraw, the 14th century Travels of Ibn Battuta, and the 17th century Seyahatnâme by Evliya Çelebi. Notable Jewish works include the itineraries of Benjamin of Tudela and Petachiah of Regensburg.

The number of published travelogues proliferated during the 19th century, and these travelers' impressions of 19th-century Palestine have been often quoted in the history and historiography of the region, although their accuracy and impartiality has been called into question in modern times. In total, there are more than 3,000 books and other materials detailing accounts of the journeys of primarily European and North American travelers to Ottoman Palestine. Notable 19th century works include Biblical Researches in Palestine by Edward Robinson, The Land and the Book by William McClure Thomson, and The Historical Geography of the Holy Land by George Adam Smith.