Kitab al-Rawd al-Mitar facts for kids

Kitāb al-Rawḍ al-miʿṭār fi khabar al-aqṭār (which means The Book of the Fragrant Garden) is an important Arabic geography book from the 1300s. It was written by a scholar known as al-Ḥimyarī. This book is a key source for understanding the history of Muslim Iberia (which is what Spain and Portugal were called when Muslims ruled parts of them) during the Middle Ages.

The book also used information from an older work by Muhammad al-Idrisi. We don't know much about al-Ḥimyarī himself, except that he was connected to the Hafsid dynasty, a ruling family in North Africa. Later, the book was translated into French in 1938 by Évariste Lévi-Provençal and into Spanish in 1963 by María Pilar Maestro González.

What is Kitāb al-Rawḍ al-miʿṭār?

Kitāb al-Rawḍ al-miʿṭār is a very old book about geography. In the 1300s, geography books were not just about maps. They also described places, people, cultures, and history. This book gives us a look into what the world was like back then.

Why is This Book Important?

This book is considered a "primary source." This means it was written around the time of the events it describes. So, it gives us direct information about the past, rather than someone writing about it much later. It's especially useful for learning about Muslim Iberia.

What Was Muslim Iberia?

Muslim Iberia refers to the parts of the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal) that were under Muslim rule for many centuries. This period, mostly from the 700s to the late 1400s, was a time of great learning and culture. The book helps historians understand what life was like in these areas during the Middle Ages.

Who Was al-Ḥimyarī?

The author, al-Ḥimyarī, is a bit of a mystery. We know he wrote this important book. He was also close to the Hafsid dynasty. This was a powerful family that ruled parts of North Africa, including modern-day Tunisia, from the 1200s to the 1500s. Being close to such a family likely gave him access to information and resources for his writing.

Translations and Study

For many years, this book was only available in Arabic. But thanks to the hard work of scholars, it has been translated into other languages.

French Translation

In 1938, a French scholar named Évariste Lévi-Provençal edited and translated the book into French. This made the book's valuable information available to many more researchers and readers.

Spanish Translation

Later, in 1963, María Pilar Maestro González translated the book into Spanish. This was very helpful, especially for people in Spain who wanted to learn more about the history of Muslim Iberia from an Arabic perspective.