A True Renaissance Man

The one take away that I got from reading Trickster Travels was that al-Wazzan was a man of many interests. He enjoyed is life as a diplomat which allowed him to travel extensively and learn new things from a variety of teachers. Even his time as a Christian in Rome allowed him to extend his knowledge and to be able to share that knowledge with others. As a man in the Renaissance period in Rome I believe that al-Wazzan was the true Renaissance man even more so than the Italians that have held that title. He was certainly more versed and more well traveled than the majority of Italians and had more to offer as far as experiences in his lifetime.

Al-Wazzan's preoccupation with language allowed him to be tolerant of others who did not share his beliefs which in turn allowed him to have a greater understanding about the world he was living in. The idea that he would collaborate with a Jewish scholar as a Christian who was also a Muslim is a true bringing together of the religions in an effort to understand each other. The work that al-Wazzan and Jacob Mantino did in trying to create an Arabic-Hebrew-Latin dictionary was extraordinary. 

I see al-Wazzan as a man of tolerance which is uncommon in the time period. He seems to value learning and sharing of knowledge above the dogma of religion and strife. This time period was tumultuous, especially between the Christians and the Muslims as they fought for control of the Mediterranean. Al-Wazzan's concern for the many different sects of Islam also to me portrays a man at a crossroads, who is trying to understand his religion, and the politics surrounding that religion. This concern about the different religions and even sects of the same religion point to an enlightened scholar who does not follow blindly along, but instead wishes to understand differing points of view.

Cosmography and Geography of Africa was al-Wazzan's contribution to the understanding of Africa for those who had never experienced it, he walked a tightrope so thin when he was writing so that neither his benefactors in Italy nor his associates in Africa would be offended by his writing. What a difficult thing to pull of in a language you were just learning. In addition, what a find for Davis to be able to bring this gifted man to life for modern readers. She does al-Wazzan justice in helping us to understand him and where he had been and where he was going. Even though Davis may lack some information she is clear when she doesn't have pertinent facts and instead is making assumptions.