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Heritage

“Falconry is the traditional art and practice of training and flying falcons (and sometimes eagles, hawks, buzzards and other birds of prey). It has been practiced for over 4,000 years. The practice of falconry in early and medieval periods of history is documented in many parts of the world. Originally a means of obtaining food, falconry has acquired other values over time and has been integrated into communities as a social and recreational practice and as a way of connecting with nature.”

— UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

In 2016, falconry was inscribed in the UNESCO list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity with Abu Dhabi playing a central important role in this process, however, the origins of falconry can be traced back for thousands of years.

Origins of Falconry

Exactly when and where humans first trained birds of prey to hunt with them remains uncertain. The first falconers may have been nomads living around two thousand years ago. Very little of the material culture they produced has survived up to the present.

Falconry has deep roots in human history offering important insights, both practical and theoretical, into our engagement with the natural world, and into culture, science, heritage and history. It predates the practice of writing in many cultures, which makes it difficult to establish exactly where, when and how it originated.

The earliest representation of what appears to be a falconer comes from Tell Chuera, in north-eastern Syria, on an incense burner dating from the middle of the third millennium BCE or more than 4500 years ago. While sixth century mosaics in Jordan and Syrian coins from the seventh century further indicate the significance of falconry in Arabic culture.

Earliest Writings

It was at the court of the early Abbasids in Baghdad that the earliest preserved books on falconry were put together. They were written in Arabic and presumably composed either by falconers or with their assistance. Some evidence points to an earlier history of texts in late Umayyad times, making falconry books one of the earliest genres of Arabic scientific literature.

This literary tradition can be dated to late Umayyad times (pre-eight-century), with the earliest known manuscripts dating to 750 CE. Some texts are preserved in one manuscript only, others are virtually lost. The book of Adham and al-Ghiṭrīf survives in as many as 28 manuscripts.

Explore the manuscripts

Cultural Heritage

Antique artefacts attest to the fact that falconry has been practiced for thousands of years in the Middle East, and treatises devoted to this noble art –compiled in the region between the 2nd/8th and 8th/14th century– are amongst the oldest and most influential texts on the subject. Unfortunately, many have since been lost, and are only known from quotations in other surviving texts, while many others have been only partially preserved in one or more manuscripts.

Embedded in these stories of origins are impressions of the universal attraction of birds of prey and of falconry to humans. The anecdotes and images contained within the manuscripts and in art pieces reflect the importance of falconry to human culture.

The texts in the MEFA archives still speak to modern falconers. They can recognize the challenges of training birds of prey and sometimes use similar techniques. Many medical conditions such as bumblefoot still affect birds of prey even if methods of diagnosis and treatment have changed substantially from the medieval period. In other cases, remedies are strikingly similar. Medieval authors recommended a method for repairing a broken flight feather which is still used – a needle is inserted in the two ends to keep the parts together. This is known as imping.

Kültepe, Turkey

Yeniköy, Turkey

Marash, Turkey

Madaba, Jordan

Damascus, Syria

Baghdad, Iraq

Tell Chuera, north-eastern Syria

A very ancient Middle Eastern tradition

Falconry is a very ancient tradition that is deeply rooted in the Middle East. Some of the oldest related artefacts, from Hittite Anatolia and the Fertile Crescent, date back thousand years ago.

Seal impressions

–1900

Kültepe, Turkey

Ancient Anatolian sculpture and minor arts, such as these seal impressions from Kültepe, often show figures, sometimes on a stag, with a raptor perched on their fist, holding dead prey. These representations figure from the beginning of the second millennium BC until well into the first millennium.

Steatite relief

–1400

Yeniköy, Turkey

This relief from Yeniköy from the 14th century BC, shows a figure, probably a god, on a stag, holding a falcon on his fist.

Basalt stela

–800

Marash, Turkey

This neo-hittite stela shows the young Tarhunpiyas standing on his mother's knees. In his hands he holds a stylus and a leash attached to a hawk, signs that he practices falconry and thus belongs to a wealthy class. This is one of the oldest undisputed representations of a falconer.

Mosaic floor

6th century

Madaba, Jordan

The Hippolytus Wall mosaic in Madaba, inspired by a Greek tragedy, decorates a hall of irregular dimensions. The figure of the falconer (holding a hawk on his gloved fist) is an innovation introduced by the Byzantine artists, which demonstrates the popularity of falconry in northern Arabia at that time.

Coins

7th century

Damascus, Syria

On some ‘Arab-Byzantine’ coins produced during the early Umayyad Dynasty, before 696–697 AD (77 H), a raptor is figured, sometimes on a perch, sometimes on the left arm of the standing figure.

Most ancient surviving falconry treatise

8th century

Baghdad, Iraq

The most ancient surviving falconry treatise was written in Baghdad around 780 CE by the falconer Al-Ghiṭrīf ibn Qudāma al-Ghasāni.

Incense burner

–2500

Tell Chuera, north-eastern Syria

The earliest representation of what appears to be a falconer holding up his dead preys comes from Tell Chuera, in north-eastern Syria, on an incense burner dating from the middle of the third millennium BCE. This would push back the origins of falconry to more than 4500 years ago.

Falconry’s Importance to Arab Royalty and Scholars

Falconry holds profound significance for Arab royalty and scholars. Initially practiced by rulers across Eurasia, including Arab, Byzantine, and Sassanian leaders, it was revered as a symbol of power and prowess. Arabic literature and scholarship, particularly during the Abbasid caliphate, elevated falconry, intertwining it with scientific and philosophical advancements, shaping a cultural legacy cherished by scholars and rulers alike.