As was typical for the Assyriologists of the time, Knut Tallqvist also had comprehensive knowledge of other Semitic languages. To put his Arabic language skills to practical use and to acquaint himself with Middle Eastern cultures, he received a grant to travel there and begin work. Tallqvist lived in the area between 1893 and 1895, mainly in Constantinople, Beirut, Jerusalem and Cairo.

In terms of scholarly work, Tallqvist’s travels resulted in a 1897 collection of Arabian proverbs and puns and a 1889 German translation of the fourth book in Ibn Sa’id al-Maghribi’s medieval Arabic history. The academic merits of the latter work were such that Tallqvist was appointed Professor of Oriental Literature that same year.

During his studies in the Middle East, Tallqvist was engaged in active correspondence with his fiancée Irene Bäckström. In 1986 Tallqvist’s daughter-in-law, Hellen Tallqvist, published an edited version of the correspondence, titled Knut Tallqvist och hans fästmö. Deras brevväxling under hans resa i Orienten 1893–1895. A valuable depiction of a time and place, it paints a vivid picture of the people, events and cultures encountered by Tallqvist during his travels. Most of all it deals with the professor’s own thoughts and preconceptions. The following are three excerpts from Tallqvist’s letters to his fiancée.

Tallqvist writing at the beginning of his journey on April 29, 1894 in Beirut:

The people of Lebanon leave a very positive impression. They are mainly Christian Arabs who gathered in the mountains of Lebanon after the great massacre of 20000 Christians in 1860 by fanatical Mohammedans and who are ruled by a Christian governor general according to the demands of the European powers. Wherever you go, you are met with kind greetings of” Nhārak said” (Good day), and children do not beg for bakschirsches [gifts, bribes] like they do everywhere else.

Tallqvist writing on November 11, 1894 after arriving in Damascus, where he became nauseous and spent his first day in the city bedridden:

Even looking past my illness I do not like Damascus, this wretched hive! The life of the streets is of course interesting, but it does not make much of an impression after having seen Constantinople. The bazars are somewhat respectable, but can hardly compete with those of Stamboul. The streets here are perhaps better paved. Dogs are numerous and tend to bark. There are many mosques, but they are modest compared to Constantinople. The great Umayyad Mosque has been in ruins for a year or two. […] The great wonder of Damascus is the abundance of water and verdure.

Tallqvist writing from Jerusalem on November 27th, 1894. Where he was unimpressed by the city, or by Jaffa. Tallqvist had also visited Bethlehem:

Bethlehem is a modest place with its estimated 7000 inhabitants, most of whom are Mohammedans. Despite its size it is unbelievably dirty and messy. The people are unique, thought to have Crusader blood in them. The women are mostly large and some are beautiful. I seem to remember that one of the pictures I sent has a woman from Bethlehem. One of the main sources of income for the locals is manufacturing pearl and coral ornaments, the materials for which they get from the city of Jeddah on the Red Sea coast. They also make ornaments out of olive trees and a certain kind of stone from the Dead Sea. I felt compelled to buy plenty of these very beautiful items.

Sources

• Hellen Tallqvist, Knut Tallqvist och hans fästmö. Deras brevväxling under hans resa i Orienten 1893–1895, Svenskspråkiga skrifter utgivna av Finska orientsällskapet n:o 7, Helsingfors 1986.
• Sanna Aro, Tallqvist, Knut, Kansallisbiografia-verkkojulkaisu (’Online publication by the National Biography’). Accessed July 29th, 2015.  Luettavissa maksutta Nelli-portaalin kautta ('Available for free on Nelli Portal’). 

The excerpts were translated into English from the Finnish translation by Tomas Sjöblom. Originally published in Hellen Tallqvist’s Knut Tallqvist och hans fästmö. Deras brevväxling under hans resa i Orienten 1893–1895, Svenskspråkiga skrifter utgivna av Finska orientsällskapet n:o 7, Helsingfors 1986.

EXCERPTS IN ORIGINAL SWEDISH:

Själva folket på Libanon gör ett särdeles gynnsamt intryck. Den består till övervägande del av kristna araber, som efter den stora massakern på kristna år 1860, då ca 20 000 personer mördades av fanatiska muhammedaner, samlade sig i Libanons bergsbygd och enligt de europeiska makternas fordran, styras av en kristen generalguvernör. Var man går hälsas man med ett vänligt Nhārak saīd, = god dag, och barnen tigga icke bakschirsch som överallt annorstädes.

Även annars tycker jag ej om Damaskus, ett eländigt näste! Livet på gatorna är visst originellt och intressant, men imponerar föga, sedan man sett Konstantinopel. Basarerna här äro rätt respektabla, men kunna knappast tävla med dem i Stambul. Gatorna äro kanske bättre stenlagda. Hundarna äro talrika och skallstarka. Moskéerna äro jämväl talrika men obetydliga i jämbredd med dem i Konstantinopel. Den stora Omajad-moskén är sedan ett år eller två en ruin. […] Damaskus största märkvärdighet består i dess rikedom på vatten och grönska.

Betlehem är en oansenlig ort med ca. 7000 invånare, av vilka flertalet är mohammedaner, men oerhört smutsig och osnygg. Folket uppvisar en egen typ, i vilken man trott sig märka spår av korsfararblod. Kvinnorna äro mest storväxta och delvis vackra, jag vill minnas att bland fotografierna, som jag skickat, finns en betlehemitiska.

En huvudsaklig inkomstkälla för befolkningen är fabrikationen av pärlemo- och korallarbeten, till vilka materialet hämtas från Djidda vid Röda havet, ävensom allehanda föremål av olivträ och en svart stenart från Döda havet. Jag fick lov att köpa en hel hop av de verkligen vackra sakerna.