William George Browne

William George Browne (1768, London – 1813, Iran) was a British traveller in Central Africa and the Middle East. He studied at Oriel College in Oxford. When he left the university, he wanted to apply himself to literary activities but soon he decided to be explorer in Central Africa. In 1792 he arrived at Alexandria in Egypt and visited the Oasis of Siwa, celebrated for its oracle temple of Zeus Ammon. During this year he studied Arabic and examined the ancient ruins in Egypt. In 1793 he left for Darfur, a Muslim sultanate, nowadays a part of Sudan. Browne was the first European to describe Darfur. He was forcibly taken into custody there by the sultan and suffered much hardship. He was permitted to return to Egypt in 1796. Next he stayed a year in Syria and arrived in Lonon in 1798. From 1800 to 1802 Browne spent three years in Greece, Asia Minor and Sicily. In 1812 he intended to travel from England tot he city of Samarkand, now in Uzbekistan, but was murdered by robbers on the road from Tabriz to Teheran. Browne published his Travels in Africa, Egypt and Syria (from the years 1792 to 1798) in 1799 (enlarged edition 1806). His works, written in a dry style, give a positive image of islamic culture.