Muhammad ibn Yūsuf al-Warrāq facts for kids

Muhammad ibn Yūsuf al-Warrāq (Arabic: محمد بن يوسف الورّاق) was an important historian and geographer from a place called Al-Andalus. This was a part of present-day Spain where Islamic culture was very strong. He was born in 904 in Guadalajara and passed away in Córdoba around 973 or 974. He is remembered for his detailed writings about history and the world around him.

Life of al-Warrāq

Muhammad ibn Yūsuf al-Warrāq traveled a lot during his life. He spent many years living in a city called Kairouan. This city was a very important center for learning and culture in North Africa.

Later, he returned to Córdoba, which was the capital of Al-Andalus. He came back during the time when al-Hakam II was the Caliph. A Caliph was like a ruler or leader.

His Important Works

Al-Warrāq wrote many books for Caliph al-Hakam II. These books were about the history and geography of North Africa. Sadly, none of his complete works have survived until today.

However, we know a lot about his writings from other sources. Many parts of his work were saved in another book. This book was called Book of Roads and Kingdoms. It was written about a century later by a scholar named al-Bakri.

From these saved parts, we can see how special al-Warrāq's work was. He was one of the first people to combine geography with history. This means he didn't just describe places. He also told the stories of those places. He explained their historical background and gave very detailed descriptions.

A famous scholar named Ibn Hazm also mentioned al-Warrāq. He said that al-Warrāq's family came from the Berber tribal group known as the Zenata.

See also

In Spanish: Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Warraq para niños