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{{Short description|Arab geographer (c. 945/946 – 991)}}
{{About|the medieval Arab geographer|other people named Al-Maqdisi or Al-Muqaddasi|Maqdisi}}
{{lowercase title}}
{{Infobox scholar
| name             = Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad Shams al-Dīn Al-Maqdisī <br /> {{Nobold|{{lang|ar|مُحَمَّد ابْن أَحْمَد شَمْس ٱلدِّيْن ٱلْمَقْدِسِي}}}}
| birth_date       = {{circa|945}}/946 CE
| birth_place      = [[Jerusalem]], [[Abbasid Caliphate]]
| death_date       = 991 CE
| death_place      = [[Fatimid Caliphate]]
| era              = [[Islamic Golden Age]]
| school_tradition = [[Abu Zayd al-Balkhi|Balkhi]] school
| main_interests   = [[Islamic geography]]
| notable_ideas    = {{Unbulleted list}}
| major_works      = ''The Best Divisions in the Knowledge of the Regions''
| influences       = [[Abu Zayd al-Balkhi|Al-Balkhi]]
| influenced       = 
}}

'''Shams al-Din Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr''',{{efn|{{langx|ar|شَمْس ٱلدِّيْن أَبُو عَبْد ٱلله مُحَمَّد ابْن أَحْمَد ابْن أَبِي بَكْر|translit=Shams al-Dīn Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Abī Bakr}}; {{circa|945/946}}{{Snd}}991}} commonly known by the ''[[Nisba (onomastics)|nisba]]'' '''al-Maqdisi'''{{efn|{{langx|ar|ٱلْمَقْدِسِي|translit=al-Maqdisī}}}} or '''al-Muqaddasī''',{{efn|{{langx|ar|links=no|ٱلْمُقَدَّسِي}}}} was a medieval [[Arab]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rahman |first1=Mushtaqur |title=Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures |pages=145 |doi=10.1007/978-1-4020-4425-0_8963 |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-4020-4559-2 |chapter=Al‐Muqaddasī }}</ref> [[geographer]], author of ''The Best Divisions in the Knowledge of the Regions''{{efn|''Aḥsan al-taqāsīm fī maʿrifat al-aqālīm''}} and ''Description of Syria (Including Palestine)''.

Al-Maqdisi is one of the earliest known historical figures to self-identify as a [[Palestinians|Palestinian]], having done so during one of his travels in [[Iran|Persia]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.nawa.ps/ar/post/20050 | title= الجغرافي المقدسي ونص الهوية الفلسطينية
 | date= 11 January 2025|work= nawa}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Al-Ju'beh|first1=Nazmi|editor1-last=Heacock|editor1-first=Roger|title=Temps et espaces en Palestine: Flux et résistances identitaires|date=2008|publisher=Presses de l'Ifpo|location=Beirut, Lebanon|isbn=9782351592656|pages=205–231|url=http://books.openedition.org/ifpo/491?lang=en|archive-url=https://archive.today/20180319004820/http://books.openedition.org/ifpo/491?lang=en|archive-date=19 Mar 2018}}</ref><ref name=Maqdisi>{{cite book | author = Al-Maqdisi | title = The Best Divisions for Knowledge of the Regions (Arabic) | edition = 2 | publisher = Brill | year =1906 | editor = M. J. Goeje | page = 440 | url = https://archive.org/details/abasshawii_yahoo_1906/page/n441/mode/1up | quote = في البناء فقال لي الاستاذ انت مصري ؟. قلت لا بل فلسطيني . قال سمعت ان عندكم تخرم الاحجار كما يخرم الخشب. قلت اجل (And I told them of the architecture in Palestine , and asked them questions in the art of architecture. He {a Stone cutter} asked me 'Are you Egyptian ?' I said 'No , I am Palestinian'. He said : 'I heard you drill stone as you would drill wood ?'. I said 'Yes'.) }}</ref>

==Biography==
===Sources===
Outside of his own work, there is little biographical information available about al-Maqdisi.<ref name="Miquel492">Miquel 1993, p. 492.</ref> He is neither found in the voluminous biographies of [[Ibn Khallikan]] (d. 1282) nor were the aspects of his life mentioned in the works of his contemporaries.<ref name="LeStrangeiii">Al-Mukaddasi, ed. Le Strange 1886, p. [https://archive.org/details/cu31924028534265/page/n10/mode/1up iii]</ref>

===Early life and education===
[[File:121086-Jerusalem-Mount-of-Olives (26988237083).jpg|thumb|right|300px|Al-Maqdisi was from [[Jerusalem]] (''Bayt al-Maqdis'' in Arabic), from which he received his name. He was particularly fond of the city and described it at length in his geographic work.]]

He was born in [[Jerusalem]] in {{circa|946}} and belonged to a middle-class family whose roots in the city's environs dated from the period approximate to the [[Muslim conquest of the Levant|7th-century Muslim conquest]].<ref name="Miquel492"/><ref name="LeStrangeiii"/><ref name="LeStrange5-6">Le Strange 1890, pp. [https://archive.org/stream/palestineundermo00lestuoft#page/n32/mode/1up 5]–[https://archive.org/stream/palestineundermo00lestuoft#page/n33/mode/1up 6]</ref> According to historian [[André Miquel]], al-Maqdisi was "very much attached to the [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] of his birth and to the town whose name he bears".<ref name="Miquel492"/> ''Al-Maqdisī'' or alternatively ''al-Muqaddasī'' was a ''[[nisba (onomastics)|nisba]]'' indicating that he was from "Bayt al-Maqdis" or "Bayt al-Muqaddas", the Muslim names for Jerusalem.<ref name="Miquel492"/> His paternal grandfather, Abu Bakr al-Banna, had been responsible for the construction of [[Acre, Israel|Acre]]'s maritime fortifications under orders from [[Ahmad ibn Tulun]] (r. 868–884), the autonomous [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abbasid]] governor of [[Egypt in the Middle Ages|Egypt]] and [[Bilad al-Sham|Syria]].<ref name="Miquel492"/> Al-Maqdisi's maternal grandfather, Abu Tayyib al-Shawwa, moved to Jerusalem from [[Biyar]] in [[Greater Khorasan|Khurasan]] and was also an architect.<ref name="Miquel492"/>

As can be inferred by his work and social background, al-Maqdisi was likely well-educated.<ref name="Miquel492"/> Miquel asserts that al-Maqdisi's use of "rhymed prose, even poetry" is indicative of a strong knowledge in [[Arabic grammar]] and [[Arabic literature|literature]].<ref name="Miquel492"/> Likewise, his writings show that he possessed an early interest in [[fiqh|Islamic jurisprudence]], history, philology and [[hadith]].<ref name="Miquel492"/>

===Pursuits in geography===
Al-Maqdisi made his first [[Hajj]] (pilgrimage to [[Mecca]]) in 967.<ref name="Miquel492"/> During this period, he became determined to devote himself to the study of geography.<ref name="LeStrange5-6"/> To acquire the necessary information, he undertook a series of journeys throughout the Islamic world,<ref name="LeStrange5-6"/><ref name="Scholten1">Scholten 1980, p. 1.</ref> ultimately visiting all of its lands with the exception of [[al-Andalus]] (Iberian Peninsula), [[Sindh]] and [[Sistan]].<ref name="Scholten1"/> The known dates or date ranges of al-Maqdisi's travels include his journey to [[Aleppo]] sometime between 965 and 974, his second pilgrimage to Mecca in 978, a visit to Khurasan in 984 and his stay in [[Shiraz]] in 985 when he decided to compose his material.<ref name="Miquel492"/> The finished work was titled ''The Best Divisions for the Knowledge of the Provinces''.{{efn|''Aḥsan al-taqāsīm fi maʾarfat al-aqalīm''}}<ref name="Miquel493"/>

==Work==
[[File:Regions of the Lands of Islam by al-Muqaddasi.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The regions of Islam in the tenth century, based on Al-Maqdisi's work]]

Though possibly influenced by predecessors [[al-Jahiz]] (d. 869), who introduced the "science of countries", and [[Ibn al-Faqih]] (fl. 902), al-Maqdisi "surpassed" both "all to the advantage of what certainly should be called a true geography", according to Miquel.<ref name="Miquel493">Miquel 1993, p. 493.</ref> Moreover, Miquel surmises that al-Maqdisi "was probably the first to have desired and conceived" true geography as an "original science", an assertion that al-Maqdisi himself makes in the preface of ''Aḥsan al-taqāsīm''.<ref name="Miquel493"/> He belonged to the school known as the "atlas of Islam", inaugurated by [[Abu Zayd al-Balkhi]] (d. 934) and developed by [[Istakhri]] (d. 957) and al-Maqdisi's contemporary [[Ibn Hawqal]] (d. 978).<ref name="Miquel493"/>

Al-Balkhi's school almost exclusively dealt with the Islamic world, to which al-Maqdisi too devoted his studies.<ref name="Miquel493"/> Al-Maqdisi refers to this world as ''al-mamlaka'' or ''al-Islām'' (the Domain of Islam), a unique concept in which all of the lands of Islam constituted a single domain.<ref name="Miquel493"/> He subdivided this domain into two parts: ''mamlakat al-ʿArab'' (domain of the Arabs) and ''mamlakat al-ʿAjam'' (domain of the non-Arabs).<ref name="Miquel493"/> The former consisted, from east to west, of the six provinces of [[Iraq]], [[Al-Jazira (caliphal province)|Aqur]] (Upper Mesopotamia), [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabia]], [[Bilad al-Sham|Syria]], [[Egypt in the Middle Ages|Egypt]] and the [[Maghreb]], while the latter consisted of the eight provinces of the Mashriq (Sistan, [[Afghanistan]], [[Khurasan]] and [[Transoxiana]]), Sindh, [[Kerman|Kirman]], [[Fars province|Fars]], [[Khuzestan province|Khuzistan]], [[Jibal]], [[Daylam]] and Rihab ([[Arminiya|Armenia]], [[Adharbayjan]] and [[Arran (Caucasus)|Aran]]).<ref name="Miquel493"/>

===Description of Palestine===
''Aḥsan al-taqāsīm'' gives a systematic account of all the places and regions al-Maqdisi had visited.<ref name="LeStrange5-6"/> He devoted a section of his book to [[Bilad al-Sham]] (the [[Levant]]) with a particular focus on Palestine.<ref name="Avni3-4">Avni 1994, pp. 3–4.</ref> In contrast to travelers to Palestine, such as [[Arculf]] ({{circa|680s}}), [[Nasir Khusraw]] ({{circa|1040s}}) and others, who were pilgrims, al-Maqdisi gave detailed insights into the region's population, way of life, economy and climate.<ref name="Avni3-4"/> He paid special attention to Jerusalem, detailing its layout, walls, streets, markets, public structures and landmarks, particularly the [[Al-Aqsa|Haram ash-Sharif]] (Temple Mount) and the latter's [[Dome of the Rock]] and [[Qibli Mosque|Jami Al-Aqsa]].<ref name="Avni3-4"/> He described the city's people and customs, focusing on its Muslims, but also its Christian and Jewish communities, whose significant presence he lamented.<ref name="Avni3-4"/>

Al-Maqdisi also gave extensive overviews of [[Ramla]] and [[Tiberias]], the capitals of the [[Jund Filastin|Palestine]] and [[Jund al-Urdunn|Jordan]] districts, respectively.<ref name="Avni3-4"/> To a lesser extent, he described Acre, [[Beit Shean|Beisan]], [[Bayt Jibrin]], [[Caesarea Maritima|Caesarea]], [[Amman]] and [[Aqaba|Aila]].<ref name="Avni3-4"/> In his descriptions of the aforementioned cities, al-Maqdisi noted their prosperity and stability and gave a general impression of Palestine as densely populated and wealthy, with numerous localities.<ref name="Avni3-4"/>

[[Guy Le Strange]] comments on al-Maqdisi's work: {{blockquote|His description of Palestine, and especially of Jerusalem, his native city, is one of the best parts of the work. All that he wrote is the fruit of his own observation, and his descriptions of the manners and customs of the various countries, bear the stamp of a shrewd and observant mind, fortified by profound knowledge of both books and men.<ref name="LeStrange5-6"/>}}

===Description of Eastern Arabia===
{{blockquote|[[Jebel Hafeet|Hafit]] {[[Tuwwam]]} abounds in [[date palm|palm]] trees; it lies in the direction of [[Hajar Mountains|Hajar]] {[[Al-Ahsa Oasis|Al-Hasa]]}, and the mosque is in the [[souq|market]]s ... [[Dibba]] and [[Julfar]], both in the direction of the Hajar, are close to the sea ... Tuwwam has been dominated by a branch of the [[Quraysh]] ...|Al-Muqaddasi, 985 [[Common Era|CE]].<ref name="Morton2016"/>}}

Al-Maqdisi mentioned regions in [[Eastern Arabia]] which form parts of what are now [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]] and [[Oman]]. Al-Hasa is an important oasis region in the [[Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia|eastern part]] of Saudi Arabia, whereas [[Tawam (region)|Tuwwam]] is another oasis region split between the UAE and Oman, comprising the modern settlements of [[Al Ain]] and [[Al Buraimi Governorate|Al-Buraimi]] on different sides of the Omani-UAE border. [[Dibba]] is another region split between the UAE and Oman, touching the [[Musandam Peninsula]], which is partly ruled by the Emirate of [[Ras Al Khaimah]], where the ancient settlement of Julfar is located.<ref name="Morton2016">{{cite book |last1=Morton |first1=Michael Quentin |title=Keepers of the Golden Shore: A History of the United Arab Emirates |publisher=[[Reaktion Books]] |location=London |isbn=978-1-7802-3580-6 |edition=1st |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-oxfDQAAQBAJ&q=tuwwam |date=15 April 2016 |access-date=8 November 2016 |archive-date=19 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219221358/https://books.google.com/books?id=-oxfDQAAQBAJ&q=tuwwam |url-status=live }}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[List of Arab scientists and scholars]]
*[[Zedekiah's Cave]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book|last=Avni|first=Gideon|title=The Byzantine-Islamic Transition in Palestine: An Archaeological Approach|year=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-968433-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2aTFAgAAQBAJ}}
*{{cite book|title=Palestine Under the Moslems: A Description of Syria and the Holy Land from A.D. 650 to 1500|url=https://archive.org/details/palestineundermo00lestuoft|first=G.|last= Le Strange|author-link= Guy Le Strange|year=1890|publisher=Committee of the [[Palestine Exploration Fund]]}}
*{{cite journal | author = Gildemeister, J. | author-link=Johann Gildemeister| title = Mukaddasi | journal = [[Zeitschrift des Deutschen Palästina-Vereins]]| volume = 7 | pages =[https://archive.org/details/zeitschriftdesde07deut/page/n182/mode/1up 143] –[https://archive.org/details/zeitschriftdesde07deut/page/n211/mode/1up 172], [https://archive.org/details/zeitschriftdesde07deut/page/n254/mode/1up 215] – [https://archive.org/details/zeitschriftdesde07deut/page/n269/mode/1up 230]| year = 1884}}   
*{{EI2|article=Al-Mukaddasi|last=Miquel|first=A.|author-link=André Miquel|volume=7|pages=492–493}}
*{{cite book|author=Mukaddasi|year=1886|editor=Le Strange, G.|editor-link=Guy Le Strange|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924028534265|title=Description of Syria, including Palestine|location=London|publisher=[[Palestine Pilgrims' Text Society]]}}   
*{{cite book |last1=Scholten |first1=Arnhild |editor1-last=Freeman |editor1-first=T. W. |editor2-last=Pinchemel |editor2-first=P. |editor-link2=Philippe Pinchemel|title=Geographers: Biobibliographical Studies, Volume 4 |date=1980 |publisher=Mansell Publishing |isbn=978-1-4742-3110-7 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KBt8CwAAQBAJ |chapter=Al-Muqaddasi, c. 945-c. 988}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{EB1911 poster|Muḳaddasi}}
*Collins, Basil Anthony (1974). ''Al-Muqaddasi; the man and His Work''. Michigan Geographical Publication.
*{{cite book |author= Al-Muqaddasi |title= The Best Divisions for Knowledge of the Regions. Ahsan al-Taqasim Fi Ma'rifat al-Aqalim |translator= Basil Anthony Collins |year= 1994 |publisher= Garnet Publishing |location= Reading |isbn= 1-873938-14-4}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.bysiness.co.uk/Classical_Other/almuqaddasi.htm Al-Muqaddasi]
*[http://www.muslimheritage.com/day_life/default.cfm?ArticleID=245&Oldpage=1 Al-Muqaddasi: An Encyclopaedic Scholar]

{{Islamic geography}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muqaddasi}}
[[Category:940s births]]
[[Category:991 deaths]]
[[Category:10th-century Arab people]]
[[Category:10th-century geographers]]
[[Category:Balkhi school]]
[[Category:Medieval Syrian geographers]]
[[Category:Holy Land travellers]]
[[Category:Medieval history of Palestine]]
[[Category:Geography of Palestine (region)]]
[[Category:Writers from Jerusalem]]
[[Category:Travel writers of the medieval Islamic world]]
[[Category:Palestinian scholars]]