Abū ʿUbayd ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Muḥammad ibn Ayyūb ibn ʿAmr al-Bakrī | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1040 |
| Died | 1094 |
| Era | Caliphate of Córdoba |
| Region | Al-Andalus |
| Main interest(s) | Islamic history,geography |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
Abū ʿUbayd ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Muḥammad ibn Ayyūb ibn ʿAmr al-Bakrī (Arabic:أبو عبيد عبد الله بن عبد العزيز بن محمد بن أيوب بن عمرو البكري), or simplyal-Bakrī (c. 1040–1094) was anArabAndalusianhistorian and ageographer of theMuslim West.[1]
Al-Bakri was born inHuelva, the son of the sovereign of a short-lived principality established there by his family when theCaliphate of Cordoba fell in 1031.[2][3] Al-Bakri belonged to the Arab tribe ofBakr.[4] When his father was deposed byal-Mu'tadid (1042–1069) of the ruler ofTaifa of Seville, he then moved toCórdoba, where he studied with the geographeral-Udri and the historianIbn Hayyan. He spent his entire life in Al-Andalus, most of it inSeville andAlmeria. While in Seville, he was there whenEl Cid arrived to collect tributes fromAlfonso VI.[3] He died in Córdoba without ever having travelled to the locations of which he wrote.[5]
Al-Bakri wrote about Europe, North Africa, and the Arabian peninsula. Only two of his works have survived. HisMu'jam mā ista'jam contains a list of place names mostly within the Arabian peninsula with an introduction giving the geographical background. His most important work is hisKitāb al-Masālik wa-al-Mamālik ("Book of Highways and of Kingdoms") (كتاب المساليك والمماليك). This was composed in 1068, based on literature and the reports of merchants and travellers, includingMuhammad ibn Yūsuf al-Warrāq (904–973) andAbraham ben Jacob.[5][6] It is one of the most important sources for the history of West Africa and gives crucial information on theGhana Empire, theAlmoravid dynasty and thetrans-Saharan trade.[6] Although the material borrowed from al-Warraq dated from the 10th century, he also included information on events that occurred close to the time that he wrote.[6]
Al-Bakri mentions the earliest urban centres in the trans-Saharan trade to embrace Islam, late in the 10th century,Gao was one of the very few along theNiger River to have native Muslim inhabitants. Other centres along the serpentine bends of the great river eventually followed: Takrur (Mauritania,Senegal); Songhay (Mali); Kanem-Bornu (Chad); and Hausa territories (Nigeria). By the 11th century, reports on these and other flourishing Islamic cities made their way north to Al-Andalus in southernIberia, enabling Al-Bakri to write in hisKitab al-Masalik wa al-Mamalik (Book of Highways and Kingdoms): "The city of Ghana consists of two towns situated on a plain" and that "One of these towns, which is inhabited by Muslims, is large and possesses twelve mosques in one of which they assemble for the Friday prayer. There are salariedimams andmuezzins, as well asjurists and scholars."[7]
His works are noted for the relative objectivity with which they present information. For each area, he describes the people, their customs, as well as the geography, climate and main cities. Similar information was also contained in his written geography of the Arabian Peninsula, and in the encyclopedia of the world in which he wrote. He also presented various anecdotes about each area. Unfortunately, parts of his main work have been lost, and of the surviving parts, some have never been published.[6]
The craterAl-Bakri on theMoon is named after him.[8]
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