Ali Abu al Fida
SyriaAbu al-Fida
Abu al-Fida was an Arab historian, geographer, and emir of Hama (Syria) from 1310 to 1331. He was born in 1273 and distinguished himself early on in battles against the Crusaders. In 1310, he received the principality of Hama from Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad. He initially ruled as a governor until 1312, when he became a full-fledged sultan, a position he held until his death.
Historical Writings
Abu al-Fida is known for his historical works written in Arabic. His chronicles cover events up to 1328 and include a pre-Islamic history, "Historia anteislamica," published in Leipzig in 1831. His "Annales Moslemici," published in Copenhagen from 1789 to 1794, covers Islamic history. The complete work was printed in Constantinople in 1870. While his historical accounts are primarily compilations of earlier Arabic writings, they provide a comprehensive overview of Muslim dynasties. Abu al-Fida's writing style is simple and straightforward. His most significant historical work, "Mukhtasar fi Tarikh al-Bashar," covers events up to 1329 and largely abridges the work of Ibn al-Athir.
Geographic Writings
Another notable work by Abu al-Fida is his geography, "Taqwim al-Buldan" ("Ordering of the Countries"). This geography in tables includes the coordinates of various locations. It was published in full by Schier (Dresden, 1842) and by Reinaud and Guckin de Slane (Paris, 1837–1840) based on different manuscripts. Reinaud also translated the work into French.
Other Works
In addition to history and geography, Abu al-Fida wrote on law, mathematics, logic, and medicine.
