14th century – 14th century
Granada and Fez
Ibn al-Khatib, also known as Lisan al-Din, was a Nasrid secretary, vizier, humanist, poet, historian, physician, and prolific author. He held the highest honors at the Granada court and produced at least sixty works across poetry, prose, travel writing, history, mysticism, and medicine. Falsely accused of heresy, he was strangled in a dungeon at Fez and his body was burned.
Continue exploring
The Story
Ibn al-Khatib, known by the honorific Lisan al-Din, was presented as the greatest humanist of his time and a major classical Arabic writer. His career unfolded at the Nasrid court, where he served as secretary and vizier and attained the highest honors. His reputation rested on extraordinary versatility across literary, historical, scientific, and religious fields.
His surviving profile includes poetry, anthologies, letter-writing, travel narratives, history, mysticism, and medicine. He produced at least sixty works and was especially admired for the magic of his style and the virtuosity of his language. Ibn Khaldun regarded him as an exceptional figure in prose, verse, science, and letters.
His political prominence eventually became dangerous. Powerful figures falsely accused him of heresy, including the poet Ibn Zamrak, who had been his protégé and later succeeded him as vizier. Ibn al-Khatib was summarily strangled in a dark dungeon at Fez, after which his body was burned.
14th century – 14th century
Granada and Fez
Ibn al-Khatib, also known as Lisan al-Din, was a Nasrid secretary, vizier, humanist, poet, historian, physician, and prolific author. He held the highest honors at the Granada court and produced at least sixty works across poetry, prose, travel writing, history, mysticism, and medicine. Falsely accused of heresy, he was strangled in a dungeon at Fez and his body was burned.
Continue exploring
The Story
Ibn al-Khatib, known by the honorific Lisan al-Din, was presented as the greatest humanist of his time and a major classical Arabic writer. His career unfolded at the Nasrid court, where he served as secretary and vizier and attained the highest honors. His reputation rested on extraordinary versatility across literary, historical, scientific, and religious fields.
His surviving profile includes poetry, anthologies, letter-writing, travel narratives, history, mysticism, and medicine. He produced at least sixty works and was especially admired for the magic of his style and the virtuosity of his language. Ibn Khaldun regarded him as an exceptional figure in prose, verse, science, and letters.
His political prominence eventually became dangerous. Powerful figures falsely accused him of heresy, including the poet Ibn Zamrak, who had been his protégé and later succeeded him as vizier. Ibn al-Khatib was summarily strangled in a dark dungeon at Fez, after which his body was burned.
Continue the journey
Other paths related to this story.