el ▁which ▁ended ▁in ▁divor ce . ▁After ▁studying ▁at ▁the ▁univers ities ▁of ▁Leipzig ▁and ▁Gött ingen , ▁he ▁travel led ▁to ▁England ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 8 0 6 ▁with ▁goal ▁of ▁obtain ing ▁employ ment ▁in ▁the ▁civil ▁service . ▁Un success ful , ▁he ▁took ▁employ ment ▁with ▁the ▁African ▁Association ▁with ▁the ▁objective ▁of ▁resol ving ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁problems ▁of ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁Niger ▁River . ▁The ▁expedition ▁called ▁for ▁an ▁over land ▁journey ▁from ▁C airo ▁to ▁Tim bu kt u . ▁To ▁prepare ▁for ▁the ▁journey , ▁he ▁attended ▁Cambridge ▁University ▁and ▁studied ▁Arab ic , ▁science ▁and ▁medicine . ▁At ▁this ▁time ▁he ▁also ▁began ▁to ▁adopt ▁Arab ian ▁cost ume . ▁In ▁ 1 8 0 9 ▁he ▁left ▁England ▁and ▁travel led ▁to ▁Ale ppo , ▁Sy ria ▁to ▁perfect ▁his ▁Arab ic ▁and ▁Muslim ▁custom s . ▁En ▁route ▁to ▁Sy ria , ▁he ▁stopped ▁in ▁Mal ta ▁and ▁learned ▁of ▁Ulrich ▁Jas per ▁Se et zen ▁who ▁had ▁left ▁C airo ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁the ▁lost ▁city ▁of ▁Pet ra ▁and ▁had ▁subsequently ▁been ▁murder ed . ▁Once ▁in ▁Sy ria , ▁he ▁adopted ▁the ▁mon iker ▁She ikh ▁I bra him ▁I bn ▁Ab dal lah ▁to ▁hide ▁his ▁true ▁European ▁identity . ▁While ▁in ▁Sy ria , ▁he ▁investig ated ▁local ▁languages ▁and ▁arch ae ological ▁sites ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁discover er ▁of ▁H itt ite ▁or ▁Lu w ian ▁hier og lyph s