Ibn Battuta describes the marvellous rubies found in Kunakar
#mohamed_ahmed_alsowaidi_ibn_battota
Description of the rubies. The marvellous rubies called bahraman [carbuncles] are found only in this town. Some are taken from the channel, and these are regarded by them as the most [851] valuable, and some are obtained by digging. In the island of Ceylon rubies are found in all parts. The land is private property, and a man buys a parcel of it and digs for rubies. He finds white stones, deeply-cracked, and it is inside these that the rubies are formed. (174) He gives them to the lapidaries who scrape them down until they split away from the ruby stones. Some of them are red, some yellow, and some blue, which they call nailam. Their custom is that all rubies of the value of a hundred fanams belong to the Sultan, who pays their price and takes them; those of less value belong to the finders. A hundred fanams equal in value six gold dinars.
All the women in the island of Ceylon have necklaces of rubies of different colours and wear them also on their arms and legs in place of bracelets and anklets. The Sultan’s slave-girls make a network of rubies and wear it on their heads. I have seen on the forehead of the white elephant seven ruby-stones each larger than a hen’s egg, and I saw in the possession of the Sultan Ayri Shakarwati a bowl (175) as large as a man’s hand made of rubies, containing oil of aloes. When I showed my astonishment he said: ‘We have things larger than that.’
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Mzik (p. 360, n. 12) notes that the precious stones were found in the detritus deposited in the pools at the edge of the stream.
Sapphires.
A white elephant was ‘the emblem of supreme power in those days’ (S. Paranavitana in University of Ceylon History of Ceylon, I, pt 2, p. 640). See Plate II.
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Electronic Village, is pleased to launch the pilot travel series of Ibn Batuta’s Journey
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عنوان النص بالعربي : ياقوت كنكار Kurungala في سيلان
Ibn Battuta describes the marvellous rubies found in Kunakar
#mohamed_ahmed_alsowaidi_ibn_battota
Description of the rubies. The marvellous rubies called bahraman [carbuncles] are found only in this town. Some are taken from the channel, and these are regarded by them as the most [851] valuable, and some are obtained by digging. In the island of Ceylon rubies are found in all parts. The land is private property, and a man buys a parcel of it and digs for rubies. He finds white stones, deeply-cracked, and it is inside these that the rubies are formed. (174) He gives them to the lapidaries who scrape them down until they split away from the ruby stones. Some of them are red, some yellow, and some blue, which they call nailam. Their custom is that all rubies of the value of a hundred fanams belong to the Sultan, who pays their price and takes them; those of less value belong to the finders. A hundred fanams equal in value six gold dinars.
All the women in the island of Ceylon have necklaces of rubies of different colours and wear them also on their arms and legs in place of bracelets and anklets. The Sultan’s slave-girls make a network of rubies and wear it on their heads. I have seen on the forehead of the white elephant seven ruby-stones each larger than a hen’s egg, and I saw in the possession of the Sultan Ayri Shakarwati a bowl (175) as large as a man’s hand made of rubies, containing oil of aloes. When I showed my astonishment he said: ‘We have things larger than that.’
___________
Mzik (p. 360, n. 12) notes that the precious stones were found in the detritus deposited in the pools at the edge of the stream.
Sapphires.
A white elephant was ‘the emblem of supreme power in those days’ (S. Paranavitana in University of Ceylon History of Ceylon, I, pt 2, p. 640). See Plate II.
__________________
Electronic Village, is pleased to launch the pilot travel series of Ibn Batuta’s Journey
_____________
عنوان النص بالعربي : ياقوت كنكار Kurungala في سيلان
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