In medieval times, what did Middle Eastern visitors to Western Europe think about the hygienic practices (or lack thereof)? Were they disgusted, intrigued,etc?

by [deleted]

I've heard that hygiene was very important in many medieval Islamic cultures, while Western Europe generally did not practice good personal cleaning methods. If so, what did official visitors from Islamic countries --> Western european countries think about the lack of bathing, underdeveloped medicine, etc?

(Sorry if this is a gross generalization! It's just something I've heard a lot)

[deleted]

There aren't many accounts of easterners coming west, but there are a lot of them of westerners coming east, particularly around the Crusades.

Disgusted, yes, definitely. The hairy barbarians just wouldn't bathe. Plus they were ridiculously concerned about being nude and about the chastity of their women.

Some reading:

  • Usāmah, ibn Munqidh. An Arab-Syrian Gentleman and Warrior in the Period of the Crusades: Memoirs of Usāmah Ibn-Munqidh (Kitāb Al-I’tibār) ; Translated from the Original Manuscript by Philip K. Hitti ; with a New Foreword by Richard W. Bulliet. Records of Western Civilization. New York: Columbia University Press, 2000.