Johann Ludwig Burckhardt was born on 24th November 1784 (aged 33 years) in Lausanne, Switzerland, and he died on 15th October 1817 in Cairo, Egypt. Johann was a Swiss traveller and orientalist who is best known for rediscovering the ruins of the ancient Nabataean city of Petra in Jordan. He studied the Arabic customs and language to the extent that he took on an identity of Sheikh Ibrahim Ibn Abdullah. He wrote extensive details about his journeys and sent his journals back to England from time to time, so all of the details of his travels are secure. He left his large collection of Arabic manuscripts to Cambridge University.
Do you know: Johann was buried as a Muslim and the tombstone over his grave bears the name he assumed on his travels to Arabia–Sheikh Ibrahim Ibn Abd Allah.
