In Search of the Battle of Talas

Men die in the field, slashing sword to sword;
The horses of the conquered neigh piteously to Heaven.
Crows and hawks peck for human guts,
Carry them in their beaks and hang them on the branches of withered trees.
Captains and soldiers are smeared on the bushes and grass;
The General schemed in vain.
Know therefore that the sword is a cursed thing
Which the wise man uses only if he must.
--Quote from Fighting South of the Ramparts, by Li Bo
Famed Tang dynasty poet Li Bo is believed to have been describing the Battle of Talas in this lugubrious poem. Islamic Horizons traveled to the town of Talas in Kazakhstan in search of the site of this historical battle.