19. - 20. století
Alois Musil
Catholic priest and prominent orientalist
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Alois Musil was a prominent world orientalist, a writer and an ethnographer. He carried out numerous trips to the Near East and even lived there for some time.
He was born into the family of a farmer and studied theology in Olomouc. He was ordained in 1891 and within his interest in theology he took up interest in the traditions of the Arab world. In the following years he studied in Jerusalem and in Beirut and traveled a lot. In 1898 he discovered the unique palace complex of Quasr Amra in Jordan, which brought him worldwide fame.
He was later appointed professor in Olomouc and in Vienna. He also lived for many years in northern Arabia with a Bedouin tribe and was adopted as its member under
the name Musa ar Rueili. During World War One he worked as the secret ambassador of Austria-Hungary and endeavored to obtain the Arabs’ support to Turkey against Great Britain. He was quite influential after the accession of Charles I to the throne.
After the creation of the independent Czechoslovakia he moved to Prague and taught at the Charles University. He was a friend of President Masaryk, who arranged for the financial support from the American traveler Charles Crane, enabling Musil to publish many of his books in English, thus increasing his international fame. Musil achieved significant world acclaim and belongs to the most prominent orientalists of the turn of the 19th century.
