On top: African people in the lands of islam (as illustration only)

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Letter of Tansar (9th century) Arab translation of Persian
–copy of ms of Sasanian Period (third Century)-
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Taken from: Journal Asiatique 1894

When Alexander ….after taken the country of the Copts, Berbera,(in east Africa) the country of the Hebrews….

I remind you that the planet is divided into four parts. The first is the region of the Turks, from the end of India to the beginning of Roum. The second stretches between Roum and the land of the Copts, Berbera and the Hebrew country. The third is the country of the Blacks, From Berbera to India. The forth… (Persia)

(about Persia); The color of our faces, the color of our hair they are just in the middle: not the black nor the blond or the red or predominant. Or beards or our hair is not extremely curly as with the Zangs, neither floating around as with the Turks