Muhallabī and His Place in Islamic Geography
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58575/ki.v4i2.65Keywords:
Muhallabi, Kitāb al Azīzī-el-Masālik wa al Mamālik, First-hand Sources, Historical Geography, Islamic GeographyAbstract
Since Strabo's work titled Geography, the content of such informative works has expanded and the contribution of the field of Geography to the field of History has increased. Western and Eastern sources provide geographical information and a wide range of information that will help us understand the period. The information in the works of Muslim Geographers also has rich content. In these works, it is possible to find a wide variety of information about both general world geography and Muslim geography. The information contained in the works of travelers is mostly based on their observations and therefore has historical value.[1] These geography books are regarded as first-hand sources, especially among historians. The main reason for this is that the authors themselves verify most of the information contained in these works. Apart from being a source, it is also important that their content is rich. Because, in addition to historical and geographical information, there is also economic, cultural, anthropological, and philological information. In this respect, it is possible to consider these works among the basic sources of cultural history. Muḥallabī's Kitāb al Azīzī-el-Masālik wa al Mamālik is one of the works written in the field of geography. It is a unique work on the geography of sub-Saharan Africa. It is a work written on the geographies traveled and seen by the author himself. In this respect, the information it provides is a first-hand source.
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For information about Muḥellebī's life, see: Mustafa Hizmetli, İslâm Tarihinin İlk Kaynakları, Ankara Okulu Publications, Ank. 2018, p. 202.
Ibn Khurdadhbikh, Ülkeler ve Yollar Kitabı, translated by M. Ağarı, Ayışığı Kitapları, 2nd Eidt. İstanbul, 2019.
Istakhrī, Ülkelerin Yolları, Değerlendirme-Metin, trans. by M. Ağarı, Ayışığı Kitapları, 2nd Edit. İstanbul, 2020.
Murat Ağarı, “Irak ve Belh Coğrafya Ekolleri ve İlk Temsilcileri – İbn Hurdazbih, Ya’kubî ve İstahrî”, Journal of the Institute of Turkish Studies, Y: 14, I: 34, 2007, pp: 169-170.
Ağarı, Murat, ‘Irak ve Belh Coğrafya Ekolleri ve İlk Temsilcileri – İbn Hurdazbih, Ya’kubî ve İstahrî’, Journal of the Institute of Turkish Studies, Y: 14, I: 34, 2007, pp: 170-171
Ağarı, Murat, ‘Irak ve Belh Coğrafya Ekolleri ve İlk Temsilcileri – İbn Hurdazbih, Ya’kubî ve İstahrî’, Journal of the Institute of Turkish Studies, Y: 14, I: 34, 2007, p. 178
This order is as follows: Arabia, the Persian Sea, the Land of Maghrib, the Land of Egypt, the Land of Damascus, the Roman Sea (Mediterrenian), the land of al Jazira, Iraq, Khuzestan, the land of Persia, the land of Kerman, the land of Sind, Irmīniye, Rān and Azerbaijan, Jibal, Deylem, the Caspian Sea, the Desert of Khorasan, Secestan, Khorasan and Transoxiana (Mavera al Nahr). For more information see: Muhallabī, Kitāb al Azīzī al Masâlik wa al Mamālik, edit: T. Halef, Damascus, 2006; for Turkish Translation, see: Mühellebî, Kitâbü’l-Azîzî (el-Memâlik ve’l-Mesâlik) Yollar ve Ülkeler Kitabı, Turkish Trans.: M. Ağarı, Ayışığı Kitapları, 2023.
The order in al Maqdisī is as follows: Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Aqūr Region, Damascus, Egypt, Maghreb, Mashrek Region, Daylam, Rihāb Region, Jibāl Region, Khūzistan Region, Persia Region, Sindh Region. For more information see: Maqdisī, Ahsan al Taqāsīm fi Marifat al Akālīm, Leiden, Brill, 1906.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 91.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 60.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 60.
Muhallabī, āl Azīzī, s. 160.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 163.
For Bayt al Maqdis, see: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam al Buldân, Beirut, Dār Sādr, 2nd Edit. 1995, V: 5, pp. 166-171.
Jund means military camp city.
Jabiya is the military camp city in Syria, famous for the visit of Umar b. al Khattāb.
The place in question is the Qubbat al Sakhra (Dome of the Rock). It is an octagonal structure with a dome in the centre, built by the Umayyad Caliph Abdulmalik b. Marwan, located on the sacred rock in the Jerusalem harem. It is one of the first known domed works of Islamic architecture and is also known as the Mosque of Omar, mostly by Westerners, since it was built in place of the mosque built by Hz. Omar after the conquest of Jerusalem.
Ahl al Kitāb is the term generally used in the Qoran for Jews and Christians.
Toophan is the great flood disaster that occurred to punish the people of Noah.
Tālūt is the first king of the Banu Israel mentioned in the Qur'an.
Kantar is any of various units of weight used in Mediterranean countries (as an Egyptian unit equal to about 99 pounds and a Turkish unit equal to about 124¹/₂ pounds)
Bakht Nasar, Nebuchadnezzar II or Namrood, (634 – 562 BC) was king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, who reigned 605 BC – 562 BC.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 69-81.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 82.
For Beirut, see: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 1, 525.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 83.
For Antioch, see: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 1, 266.
Awāsim is the name given to the fortified border regions between the Islamic states and the Byzantine Empire.
Ağarı, Murat, ‘İslâm Coğrafyacılarında Yedi İklim Anlayışı’, Journal of Ankara University Faculty of Theology, V: 47, I: II, 2006, pp: 157-176.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 64-6.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 33.
For Konstantinapolis, see: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 4, 347.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 61-2.
For Damascus, see: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 2, 463-470.
Ağarı, Murat, ‘İslâm Coğrafyacılarında Yedi İklim Anlayışı’, Journal of Ankara University Faculty of Theology, V: 47, I: II, 2006, pp: 157-176.
Qoran, Facr, 89, 7.
Sa'y is a jurisprudential term that refers to travelling back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwa seven times in Hajj and Umrah worship.
Qoran, Nādhiāt, 79,1.
Qoran, Ghāshiya, 88, 2 and so on.
Shurta is the organization responsible for ensuring safety and security in cities in Islamic states.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 87-92.
For Aleppo, see: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 2, 282-290.
Qinnasrin is a historical city in Northern Syria.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 83-86.
For Tarsūs, see: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 4, 28.
Ağarı, Murat, ‘İslâm Coğrafyacılarında Yedi İklim Anlayışı’, Journal of Ankara University Faculty of Theology, V: 47, I: II, 2006, pp: 157-176.
Shikhna was a military governor responsible for the security and public order of a city or region.
Starting from Tarsūs and following the Adana-Misis (Massīsa)-Marash-Malatya line, this region extends eastwards to the Euphrates and is divided into two parts: Sugūr al Shām with Marash as its centre and Sugūr al Jazīra with Malatya as its centre.
Funduk is a place in Sugūr near Massīsa. See: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 4, 277.
Nātulīn is a city in Kustantiniyye. See: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 4, 412.
It is a place located around Aleppo. See: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 2, 189.
It is a place located around Aleppo. See: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 4, 412.
Nasb is a term used by the Shia for those who harbor hostility towards the supporters of Ali b. Abū Tālib.
The inclusion of this verse immediately after the expression “they declared that they were nasb” can be explained by the supportership of Ali b. Abū Tālib.
For Salūqiya, see: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 3, 242.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 96-9.
For Rafah, see: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 3, 242.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 93.
Lud is a historical city in Palestine. Lud, located 18 kilometres southeast of Jaffa on the Mediterranean coast and on the plain of Şefelah between Jerusalem and Jaffa, is frequently mentioned as Lod and Lydda in the Old and New Testaments. The remains of the tomb or only the head of Saint George, who was killed in Izmit (Nicomedia) in 303 A.D., were later moved to Lüd, which is known as his birthplace in Christian tradition, and the church built over his tomb became a shrine identified with the city in time.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 93-4.
For Bulgarian, see: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 1, 485.
The name Circassian, which was first used in 1245 for the people called Zigoi (Zνγγoí) by ancient Greek sources and Kesek, Kasog by medieval Islamic and Russian sources, became widespread from this date onwards.
Saqāliba is the name given to Slavs and Slavic slaves in medieval Islamic sources.
Oghuzs are a Turkic tribe, the ancestors of the Turks of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Turkmenistan. The name Oghuz is first found in the Gokturk inscriptions.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 59-60.
For Tinnīs, see: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 2, 51.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 31.
For Jifār, see: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, V: 2, 144.
Ushr, is the alms (zakat) collected from land products. The Turkishised form of the word ushr (plural, ushur or a’shar), which means ‘one tenth’ in the dictionary, refers to the zakat collected from land products in jurisprudence.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 31-2.
Arîsh is the administrative centre of the North Sînâ region in Egypt. For Arish, see: Jākūt al Hamawī, Mu’jam, 4, 113.
Since Friday prayers were held in certain mosques in the cities, minbars could only be found in these mosques. As such, the pulpit appears as a religious and political symbol.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 35.
Aoudaghost Evzegast is the city of Tagdaou in the southeast of present-day Mauritania. Jāqūt al Hamāwī spelt it as Evzegast. For Evzegast, see: Jāqūt al Hamawī, Mu'jam, V: 1, 277.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 45-6.
For Barqa, see: Jāqūt al Hamawī, Mu'jam, V: 1, 388.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 46-7.
For Tāhart, see: Jāqūt al Hamawī, Mu'jam, V: 1, 7-9.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 48.
For Tunis, see: Jāqūt al Hamawī, Mu'jam, V: 2, 7.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 48.
See for Aqsintalā, see: Jāqūt al Hamawī, Mu'jam, V: 1, 240.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 53.
For Zaghawa, see: Jāqūt al Hamawī, Mu'jam, V: 3, 141.
Ağarı, Murat, ‘İslâm Coğrafyacılarında Yedi İklim Anlayışı’, Journal of Ankara University Faculty of Theology, V: 47, I: II, 2006, pp: 157-176.
Saeed al Misr is Northern part of Egypt.
Nubia, is a region along the Nile river located in what is today northern Sudan and southern Egypt.
Muhallabī, al Azīzī, 53-5.
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