Abū 'Ubayd 'Abd Allāh al-Bakrī

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Abū ʿUbayd ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Muḥammad al-Bakrī (1014–1094) was a Spanish-Arab geographer and historian. He was born in Huelva, the son of the governor of the province. Al-Bakri spent his entire life in Spain, living in Cordova, and never travelled to the locations of which he wrote.

Al-Bakri wrote about Europe, North Africa, and the Arabian peninsula. His primary works were Kitāb al-Masālik wa-al-Mamālik ("Book of Highways and of Kingdoms") and Mu'jam. The first mentioned work was composed in 1068, based on literature and the reports of merchants and travellers, including Yusuf al-Warraq and Abraham ben Jacob. His works are noted for the relative objectiveness with which they are presented. For each area, he describes the people, their customs, as well as the geography, climate, and main cities. That information was also contained in his written geography of the Arabian Peninsula, and in the encyclopedia of the world in which he wrote. ^[1] He also presents various anecdotes about each area. Unfortunately, parts of his main work have been lost.

The Al-Bakri crater on the Moon was named for him.

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[edit] Further reading

• {{{last}}} (1970-80). "Bakrī, Abū ʿUbayd ʿAbdallāh Ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Ibn Muḥammad al-". Dictionary of Scientific Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. ISBN 0684101149.