(1099-1166 C.E.) Al-Idrisi (Dresses)

Al-Idrisi (Dresses)(1099-1166 C.E.)

1099-1166 (519-586 H)
Abu Abdalah Muhammad Ibn Idris al-Qurtabi al-Hasani

ceuta Spain (Geography) Al-Kitab al-Rujani, Kitab al-Mamalik wa al-Masalik Geographical encyclopedia Medicinal planets,Zoology Kitab al-Jamil-li-Sifat Ashtat al-Nabatat (AL-Idrisi’s planisphere is considered the first scientific map of the world)

Abu Abdallah Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Abdallah Ibn Idris alQurtubi al-Hasani, was bom in Ceuta, Spain, in 1099 C.E. He was educated in Cordova. Later he travelled far and wide in connection with his

studies and then flourished at the Norman court in Palermo. The date of his death is controversial, being either 1166 or 1180 C.E. Biographical notes on him are to be found rathe rararely, and according to F. Pons Boigues the underlying reason is the fact that the Arab biographers considered al-Idrisi to be a renegade, since he had been associated with the court of a Christian king and written in praise of him, in his work. The circumstances

which led him to settle in Sicily at the court of Roger II are not on record.

His major contribution lies in medicinal plants as presented in his several books, specially  Kitab al-Jami-li-Sifat Ashtat alNabatat. He studied and reviewed all the literature on the subject of medicinal plants and formed the opinion that very little original material had been added to this branch of knowledge since the early Greek work. He, therefore, collected plants and data not reported earlier and added this to the subject of botany, with special reference to medicinal plants. Thus, a large number of new drugs plants together with their evaluation became available to the medical practitioners. He has given the names of the drugs in six languages: Syriac, Greek, Persian, Hindi, Latin and Berber.

In addition to the above, he made original contributions to geography, especially as related to economics, physical factors and cultural aspects. He made a planishere in silver for King Roger II, and described the world in Al-Kitab al-Rujari(Roger's Book), also entitled Nuzhat al-Mushtaq fi Ikhtiraq al-Afaq(The delight of him who desires to journey through the climates). This

is practically a geographical encyclopaedia of the time, containing information not only on Asia and Africa, but also Western countries.

Al-Idrisi, later on, also compiled another geographical encyclo- paedia, larger than the former entitled Rawd-Unnas waNuzhat al-Nafs(Pleasure of men and delight of souls) also known as Kitab al- Mamalik wa al-Masalik.

Apart from botany and geography, Idrisi also wrote on fauna, zoology and therapeutical aspects. His work was soon translated into Latin and, especially, his books on geography remained popular both in the East and the West for several centuries.

Idrisi's map of the known world - Note: North is at the bottom of the map. Can you see the Mediterranean Sea? Arabia? The Indian Ocean?

Al-Idrisi is best known in the West as a geographer, who made a globe or sphere of silver weighing 400 kilograms for the Christian King Roger II of Sicily. Some scholars regard him as the greatest geographer and cartographer (mapmaker) of the Middle Ages. He put together a geographical encyclopedia with many maps.

See another short biography of Al-Idrisi . A copy of the map of Al-Idrisi is displayed in the Sharjah Islamic Museum in the United Arab Emirates.

Globe, imitation model of the Earth in miniature, first made in the years between 1129 - 1140 AD by a Muslim scientist, Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Idris al-Qurtubi al Hasani. More famous, he is known by the name of al-Idrisi, born in Ceuta, Spain in 1099 M. Al-Idrisi education in Cordova. Most people consider al-Idrisi is a renowned geographer and medieval cartography.

Globe made al-Idrisi made of silver round shape and weigh up to 400 kg. Globe was created in order to meet the demand of King Roger II of Sicily who are interested in scientific knowledge and of al-Idrisi. On the globe have drawn seven continents equipped with trade lanes, lakes and rivers, major cities, plains and pegunugan. In addition there are also additional information such as distance, length and height correctly. Globe is equipped with a book al-Kitab al-Rujari (Roger's Book - The book Roger).

Nuzhat book Ikhtiraq al-Mushtaq fi al-Afaq (The Delight of Him Who Desires to Journey Through The Climate - God Favors For Anyone want to travel Throughout the season) is the work of al-Idrisi shaped geographical encyclopedia which contains detailed maps of the coun- European countries, Africa and Asia. Next, al-Idrisi compile a more complete geographical encyclopedia titled Rawd-Unnas Nuzhat wa-al-nafs (Pleasure of Men and Delight of Souls - Human Happiness and Enjoyment of Life), which is also called the book al-Mamalik wa al-Masalik.

Al-Idrisi increasingly popular in Europe over other Muslim geographers because the sailors of the North Sea, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean often stop in Sicilia, where al-Idrisi several years of residence. Several of his books were translated into Latin (Greek) and published in Rome in 1619 AD It is unfortunate, that turns the book's translation does not give credit (mention the first author) to al-Idrisi (piracy papers, red). What is interesting that the new European maps using the work of al-Idrisi Are Some five centuries after the life of al-Idrisi. Cristopher Columbus was using the work of al-Idrisi map to navigate the ocean.