Dr. Kubassek János (szerk.): Földrajzi Múzeumi Tanulmányok 16. (Magyar Földrajzi Múzeum; Érd, 2007)

KÖZLEMÉNYEK - Sárközy Miklós: Megjegyzések Vámbéry Árminnak a Perszepoliszban és az iráni síita zarándokhelyeken tett látogatásairól

Vámbéry Armin portéja

he heard from local people about the splendour and decay of the ancient Persian capital, thus preserving some ethnographical material beside the well-known description of Persepolis. Vámbéry was deeply impressed by the ancient ruins of Persepolis and he carved his name on the wall of tacara, the palace of Darius I under the name of István Maróthy, the first Hungarian explorer of Persepolis.

Vámbéry also visited many Shiite places and pilgrimage centres during his enduring trips in Persia. The same Vámbéry, himself a defiant westernized anglophile with an otherwise strong anti-religious sentiment, often criticizing Iran for its less developed social institutions and regurarly expressing his scepticism about its religious fanaticism and zeal in his memoirs, came under the influence of the major Shiite sites in Iran! In his descriptions of Qom, Mashhad, Qadamgah a spiritual and sympathetic attitude can be attested towards the religious beliefs and institutions of the Shiites. Further it is worth to note that he better appreciated the views of Shiite scholars when he met members of the Iranian clergy than those of Sunnite religious leaders.

Thus a new outlook on Vámbéry’s personal character and on his thoughts about Shiite Islam can be revealed.

Translated by Miklós Sárközy

Perszepolisz romjai (Vámbéry Ármin: Vándorlásaim és élményeim Perzsiában című könyvéből, Lilium Aurum, Dunaszerdahely, 2005.)

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