Issam Chehadat, a translator and editor at Daily Sabah, has been awarded the Ibn Battuta Prize for Travel Literature for his work translating French historian Volney’s "Voyage en Syrie et en Egypte, pendant les annees 1783, 1784 et 1785" into Arabic.
Chehadat received the award in the “Translated Travel” category for his work on the 18th-century travel book, a widely referenced text in the Arab world.
“Volney’s journey is well known, and his name is widely recognized in the Arab world,” Chehadat said. “Everyone cites his descriptions of the East and his relationship with Napoleon and the French campaign in Egypt.”
Volney, a French historian and traveler, is often regarded as an inspiration for France’s 1798 campaign in Egypt. His writings have been the subject of academic studies and theses in both France and the Arab world.
Translations of excerpts from his work have previously been published with varying regional or thematic focuses, appearing under titles such as "The Kurds in Volney’s Writings" and "Aleppo When It Was the Most Beautiful City in Syria."
Alongside Chehadat, the Ibn Battuta Prize jury recognized seven Moroccan writers and others from Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt in its 2024-2025 edition. The selection committee, based in Abu Dhabi and London, included scholars and literary figures.
This year, 43 manuscripts from nine Arab countries competed in categories such as contemporary travel literature, edited manuscripts, diaries and translated travelogues. After an initial screening, 26 manuscripts advanced to the final stage. The judging process included multiple evaluation rounds to ensure impartiality.
Founded in 2000 and first awarded in 2003, the Ibn Battuta Prize for Travel Literature aims to revive Arab interest in geographic and travel literature.
