Ivan Hrbek
Item
Title
Ivan Hrbek See all items with this value
Date
2 June 1923 - 20 March 1993
Description
en
Ivan Hrbek was a Czech orientalist, historian, and translator from Arabic. He studied Arabic and Islamic issues from a young age and graduated from the Faculty of Arts at Charles University. He became a prominent authority and world-renowned scientist, working at the Oriental Institute from 1953 until the end of his life. Hrbek was also involved in African history, leading the publication of the two-volume History of Africa and contributing to the Fontes Africae Historiae project and the Histoire générale de l'Afrique. He also wrote chapters for the Cambridge History of Africa and contributed to the Encyclopaedia of Islam. Hrbek published geo-political overviews of Morocco, SAR, and Libya and paid attention to the Palestinian question and the role of Islam in politics in the seventies. He translated key works of Arab philosophers, travelers, historians, and modern authors into Czech. Among his famous works is the Czech translation of the Koran. He also wrote about Arab travelers in Central Europe and Dante Alighieri's relationship to Islam. See all items with this value