Farhat A. Hussain - The Vikings & The Islamic World: Volume 1 (The Vikings and The Islamic World Series)

Acknowledgements

In reflection of my long standing interest in both Viking and Islamic history it is appropriate that I make acknowledgement and give thanks to all those who have aided and facilitated in my deep rooted interest in history from early childhood including my parents, school teachers, writers of books whose fine works attracted my interest and those responsible in Britain in the 1970s and 1980s for the production of very interesting television programmes and compilation of books on the subject of the Vikings and the subject of history and archaeology. The very positive manner by which my tutors at college and at university have contributed to my education in history, archaeology and associate areas also is to be acknowledged for the very constructive role not only in developing my education but also in enthusing and fostering great interest and addressing my great fascination if not fixation with my areas of interest in scholarship. My gratitude must also be made apparent to all those kind persons in universities, museums (including the Viking ship museum at Roskilde at their various members of staff including Soren who has also provided me insight into the construction process for building a Viking ship, the National Museum in Denmark, National Museum in Stockholm, University of Oslo Museum , Yorvic Viking Centre in York, England) and research institutions where I have visited for my studies, research and for delivering lectures and seminars in so many countries not only in Europe but in the Islamic world, China and elsewhere whose individual and accumulative experience has provided me with great and rich insight into the manner and approach to the teaching and studying of history, archaeology and associate areas and which has served to inform my own thoughts and perspectives as to that which is taught and that which is largely absent from the teaching of history and archaeology, which in turn has served to enlighten my own approach to history and archaeology which has contributed greatly to the writing of this work.

Whilst researching and writing this book I have benefitted greatly from interaction with a great many scholars of archaeology and history across many countries - arguably too many to name in this short acknowledgment section. However it is only befitting that I make clear in this work my great appreciation in reference to research for this book to Professor Lotte Hedeager, formerly of the University of Copenhagen and presently of the University of Oslo, who was kind enough to correspond with me in 1993 and 1994 and to meet with me at the University of Copenhagen in 1994 and kind enough to provide useful replies in my subsequent correspondence on matters pertaining to the Viking Age over the subsequent 15 years during which time I undertook research, fieldwork and eventually came to write this work. It is as the result of the very kind and positive interaction with various scholars of archaeology in the Scandinavian countries since the early to mid 1990s, which also includes correspondence from that time with Professor Bjrn Ambrossiani (former director of the Birka excavations in Sweden), that my interest in the subject of the Viking links with the east was further fostered and developed. I am also grateful for the kind information sent to me by Professor Dan Carlsson of the University of Gotland, Sweden and reply to my early questions from the famous Danish archaeologist of the Viking Age, Else Roesdahl. My numerous correspondence to scholars of archaeology from Britain, including those who have been based in Sweden and elsewhere in Scandinavia, including Dr. Neil Price, formerly of the University of Uppsala, Sweden, has also aided my work as has my visits to museums and universities across Scandinavia and Europe. Exchange of views and knowledge with members of the University of Kazan of Russia and with other Russian institutions has also contributed to my work for which I am grateful. I must express my gratitude to Dr. Svetlana Valiluna for her kind correspondence in the 1990s on archaeological matters pertaining to the region of Bulgar a region that is included in this study of the Vikings and the Islamic and was visited by Ibn Fadlan in the 10 th century as addressed in this work. My wish to address an area of Viking and Muslim history and archaeology not adequately explored in scholarship thus far has met with great interest and encouragement by archaeologists, including very senior authorities in Viking archaeology, in all Scandinavian countries, and has also met with great interest and encouragement by archaeologists and historians in Britain and across the Islamic world for which I am very grateful. With equal appreciation I am most grateful to all those kind people across Scandinavia, in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and elsewhere across Scandinavia who have been of the greatest help to me during my time in these countries for my work and have made my time in Scandinavia such a memorable experience that I readily share with audiences I lecture to and with readers of newspaper and television audiences when speaking of my work in relation to the Vikings and the Islamic world.

My gratitude to Professor Rasmussen Brindt of the department of archaeology of the University of Oslo for his kind invitation and courtesy extended to me in relation to my lecture visit in late 2005 during which time I was provided the opportunity to speak to the staff, students and guests of my work in the subject of the Vikings and the Islamic world. I am grateful for this opportunity to share my work at the world famous University of Oslo and to have been able to test the reception of my work on the Vikings and the Islamic world and other aspects of my work in archaeology (including sacred space within the context of classical archaeology) via the fine staff and students at the University of Oslo. I wish to also thank Dr. Christoph Kilger for his kindness during my stay in Oslo and members of staff from the archaeology department for hosting a very fine dinner. My time in Oslo was also very useful for my own research and I was able to access more information on Norwegian Viking heritage, Muslim coin finds in Norway and the collections at the museums. The visit was most memorable as was the minus ten degrees temperature during my December visit which made considerable impact upon my ears.

I wish to thank the many universities across the Islamic world who have provided me opportunity and facility to disseminate my work to their staff and students, more so as I have made clear that my work in relation to topics and approach deal with that which the major Muslim historians in history such as Ibn Khaldun and Tabari have not addressed, though my respect for the work of Ibn Khaldun, Tabari, Masudi and many others in history has been clearly apparent and acknowledged. I must express my gratitude in particular to the staff and students at the University of Kuwait, Zayed University (Abu Dhabi), Emirates University (Al-Ain), University of Sharjah, King Saud University (Riyadh), King Abdel Aziz University (Jeddah), Taiba University (Holy Madina), Qatar University, Sultan Qaboos University, Arab Open University and scholars from the al-Azhar University (Cairo) and staff and students from various universities in Turkey for facilitation of and attendance at my lectures and provision of my work in history and archaeology including in relation to the subject of the Vikings and the Islamic world which provided me with ample insight into initial academic reception of my work in this area in the Islamic world. My gratitude also to various universities in other parts of the world including in China and in Japan for their interest in my work on the Vikings and the Islamic world and interest in my approach to and philosophy of history and archaeology.