On December 13, Russian scholar of Arabic and Islamic Studies Efim Rezvan gave two lectures for students of the Department of African and Asian Studies.

The first lecture was devoted to Quranic ethnography, which studies the ethnographic realities of the Arabian society of the time of Muhammad. Efim Rezvan highlighted in detail the spectrum of sources on the early history of Islam and spoke about modern scientific approaches to the analysis of information about the sermon of Muhammad. He also emphasized the importance of studying the material culture and social structure of ancient Arabian society.

During the second lecture, entitled “Russian Travelers in Arabia (Late 19th – First Third of 20th Centuries),” Efim Rezvan spoke about Russian sailors, scientists, and diplomats who visited the Arabian Peninsula during this period, paying special attention to their interaction with local residents. The lecturer also noted the high value of the records of Russian travelers of this period, which could be regarded as a unique source on the ethnography of the region and the history of Russian-Arab relations.