VAMBERY, ARMINIUS

(1832-1913)

Hungarian orien-talist and traveller. He was born in Dunajska, Streda, on the island of Schütt, and lived in Constantinople, where he worked as a tutor in European languages. After becoming a Muslim, he became secretary to Mehmet Fuad Pasha. In 1863-4 he travelled through Armenia, Persia and Turkestan, disguised as a Sunnite dervish; he published an account of his experiences asTravels and Adventures in Central Asia. He later became a Protestant and taught oriental languages at the University of Budapest. His writings include studies of oriental languages and ethnology.