When Abu Hamid arrives in the city of Saqsin, he notices that it is inhabited by 40 different tribes, all of which have a different amir. When talking about their living spaces, Hamid goes into detail about both their huts—how big they are and them being covered in felt—and their surrounding community. Among them are merchants who come from all over in grand numbers, and the mosques set up for different groups of people. There’s one for the Khazars, Bulghars, the Suwar, and others. “On feast days they set up many pulpits and each amir prays in front of many different nations. Each different group has its own judges, religious scholars and preachers,” (63). By stating this, Hamid highlights the fact that each group of people has their own specific way of living in the city. He even mentions that he has made his home among them, and in fact keeps his family there, before pointing out that the country itself is very cold.

He goes on to talk about the various elements of the city, including its food sources, currency, and the different features the area has to offer. Hamid comments on how he’s never seen the type of fish they have in their rivers before, and describes how some of them are as big as a person. He even mentions how they taste even better than lamb or chicken, and “enough oil comes out of their belly to provide lighting for a month,” (64). In the way he talks about it, Hamid clearly thinks their fish are amazing, and is in awe of how much in abundance there is. As far as the city’s currency, Hamid claims that they use a sort of white lead, “valued at one dinar for eight Baghdadi mann. They cut it into little bits and use it to buy the fruit, bread and meat they want,” (64). He mentions that their meat is cheap, and they also have various fruits in abundance.

Later on, Hamid also talks about the climate, and how because it can get really cold during the year, their houses are built to withstand it. They’re made out of pine and covered in sheepskin so as to keep the warmth in. He also says “the river freezes until it is like land,” (65) where people, as well as animals, are able to travel across it, and that the snow is even different colors in some parts of the land where people come to take it down the river to another city called Bulghar.

In the way he talks about this city, Abu Hamid seems to admire it very much. There is no criticism when he describes their living situations, or the climate/features of the land. Even when speaking of their customs, and how different groups of people have their own way of doing things, Hamid just seems to be taking it all in. He even goes as far as to compliment some things—like their food. In doing so, I believe his purpose is to simply list these things about the city as a way to learn more about them.