نرگس مزروعی سبدانی

Considering that Hijaz was located in the territory of the Ottoman government, Iranian pilgrims used to go there to visit the sacred thresholds and Jerusalem and perform Hajj rituals. In the territory of Ottoman Empire (678 -1341A. H.), especially in Istanbul and Egypt, they witnessed some innovations surprising and wonderful for them, so that they reflected their observations in their writings. These pilgrims tried to share their findings with their countrymen through the travelogues.The question of this research is to what extent the encounter of Iranian pilgrims with the elements of Western civilization led to new questions in their minds in terms of epistemology. This research done through the descriptive-analytical method and mainly based on the information available in the travelogues and some other research works, has come to the conclusion that the encounter of Iranian pilgrims with the new manifestations of Western civilization was surprise toward cultural, artistic, social and industrial domains that led some of them to transfer this technology to Iran.

Writing travelogues flourished throughout the Qajar era, particularly during Naser al-Din Shah’s rule. Writing about the journey of the Hajj was one of the most essential topics for travelogues. Keeping pilgrims healthy while they were performing the Hajj rituals and keeping them safe from getting sick were crucial during this time. Public health and hygiene during the journey did not receive enough attention over the long run. As a result, there was a higher chance of getting sick, spreading more viruses, and occasionally even pilgrims’ deaths while traveling for the Hajj. Therefore, the pilgrims encountered numerous difficulties on their journey. Enjoying travelogue sources and other publications, this article follows a historical-descriptive approach to discuss the Iranian pilgrims’ health while traveling by land and sea. The article reveals that the pilgrims’ major problems during the Hajj were health and treatment concerns. The lack of doctors and medical facilities for the pilgrims during the journey and in Mecca and Medina, along with irregularities and carelessness of personal hygiene, sometimes resulted in infectious and chronic diseases of the pilgrims. As a result, they either perished on the way or suffered from these endured illnesses.