Kitab al Aqualim [Book of Routes and Regions]

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Kitab al Aqualim [Book of Routes and Regions]

Kitab al Aqualim. Book of Routes made in the 13th century, describing the regions and routes of the Islamic world. This work is based upon the 10th century writings of Ibrahim Al-Istakhri, a scholar who travelled and collated information from other travellers and traders of the period. The National Maritime Museum’s copy preserves the majority of maps with full colours.

The work divides the the Islamic world into 20 regions/kingdoms (aqalim): Bilad Al-‘Arab (Arabia); Bahr Fars (Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Gulf); Maghrib (North Africa west of Egypt and Spain); Misr (Egypt); Al-Shom (The Levant); Bahr Al Run (The Mediterranean); Al-Jazird (North Iraq); Iraq; Khuzistan; Fars (Iran); Kirman (Kerman); Sind (Indus Valley and India); Armenia, Al Run and Adherbayjan; Al-‘ibal (North Iran); Daylam, Tabaristan and Jurgan (South of the Caspian Sea); Bahr Al-Khazar (Caspian Sea); The Desert; Sijistan (South Afghanistan); Kurasan (Afghanistan); Ma wara Al-Nahr (North Afghanistan and north of Afghanistan). It then gives names and details of the major cities starting with the capital; indicates the size, position and importance of each of them; discusses the characteristics of the local population; details the exports of the region; details the routes connecting the cities.

Leather bound; ‘The Book of Kings and their administration, 1300' on spine; pages repaired with Bodleian handmade mould paper; 139 pages; 17 maps. Ownership inscription dates the volume before 1282. Iranian customs export stamp dated 1935.

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Object Details

ID:	P/3
Collection:	Charts and maps
Type:	Manuscript
Display location:	Not on display
Creator:	Istakhri, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Farisi al
Date made:	13c; before 1282
Credit:	National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Parts:	Atlases, Maps And Plans (Manuscript) Transferred to Navigation Department. (Manuscript) (P/1) Number not used. Item available under G201:1/51, see collections online. (Manuscript) (P/2) Kitab al Aqualim [Book of Routes and Regions] (Manuscript) (P/3) Four maps on vellum - Adriatic, Mediterranean, North Sea and Bay of Biscay and the Eastern Archipelago. (Manuscript) (P/4) Six charts on vellum (Manuscript) (P/5) Ten charts of the world on vellum. (Manuscript) (P/6) Six charts on vellum - Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Atlantic. (Manuscript) (P/7) Atlas of six charts on vellum - West Indies, Atlantic and Mediterranean. (Manuscript) (P/8) Transferred to Navigation Department (Manuscript) (P/9) Two charts of the Mediterranean on vellum. (Manuscript) (P/10) French 17c. Atlas of six charts on vellum - Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea. (Manuscript) (P/11) Volume of twenty five charts on vellum. (Manuscript) (P/12) Tractatus Insulari Archipelagi. (Manuscript) (P/13) Twenty-four charts of the world including several calendars and tables. (Manuscript) (P/14) Survey of the coasts and harbours with charts of the Antilles, American and Mediterranean coasts. (Manuscript) (P/15) 'Outlines of the Globe' or 'Imaginary World Tour' and related items - manuscript tours, natural history, and illustrations authored and compiled by Thomas Pennant (1726–1798), naturalist, traveller, and writer (Manuscript) (P/16) Manuscript on navigation and astronomy together with a treatise on the islands of the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Pacific. (Manuscript) (P/17) Description of the Situation of the Harbours, Bays, etc., of Cartagena, Portovelo, Perico de Panama, Guayaquil, Payta, Callao de Lima, llo, Arica, Cobija, Coquimbo, Valparaiso, la Concepcion de Chile, Baldivia, South America, with their respective plans. (Manuscript) (P/18) Il nautico ricercato dal mare Ionio et Egeo da Gaspare Tentivo. (Manuscript) (P/19) Tractatus Insularii Archipelagi (Manuscript) (P/20) Isolario, in verse, with coloured drawings and a chart of the eastern Mediterranean on vellum. (Manuscript) (P/21) Six charts on vellum. (Manuscript) (P/22) Volume of 27 Ptolemaic maps (Manuscript) (P/23) Twenty five charts on vellum and illuminated. (Manuscript) (P/24) Italian ca.16th century. Atlas of thirteen charts on vellum. (Manuscript) (P/25) Jacomo, Joannis (Italian) ca.1500. Text written on paper in a neat humanistic hand. (Manuscript) (P/26) Number not used. Item available under G201:1/53, see collections online. (Manuscript) (P/27) Number not used. Item available under G346:1/1, see collections online. (Manuscript) (P/28) Number not used. Item available under G218:6/21, see collections online. (Manuscript) (P/29) French 1724. Recueil des Plans ou Cartes principaux ports du Royaume. Seventeen plans of French ports from Dunkirk to Toulon done in water colours. (Manuscript) (P/30) Roteiro de Nauegacam daqui pera y India. Script in red and black with two coloured drawings in red, blue and yellow of the compass. (Manuscript) (P/31) Ringrose, Basil (English). A Waggoner - 'Shewing the making and bearing of all the coasts from California to the Streights of Le Maire done from the Spanish original by Basil Ringrose'. (Manuscript) (P/32) 'A Waggoner of the South Sea describing the sea coast from Acapulco to Albermarle Isle, made by William Hack at the signe of great Britaine and Ireland in Wapping. Anno 1685'. (Manuscript) (P/33) Dummer, Edmund (English) 1698. A survey from Dover to Lands End. Text and charts in watercolours. (Manuscript) (P/34A) Dummer, Edmund (English) 1698. A survey from Dover to Lands End. Leather binding, on spine 'Ports M S'. (Manuscript) (P/34B) Number not used. Item available under PBD8499. See Library Catalogue. (Manuscript) (P/35) Freducci, Angelo of Ancona (Italian), 1555. Atlas of nine maps. (Manuscript) (P/36) Number not used. Item available under G230:1/3, see collections online. (Manuscript) (P/37) Number not used. (Manuscript) (P/38) Number not used. Item available under G230:1/14, see collections online. (Manuscript) (P/39) Number not used. (Manuscript) (P/40) Traite de geographie qui donne la connoissance et l'usage du globe et de la carte avec les figures necessaire pour se siyet. (Manuscript) (P/41) Dartmouth, Baron (English) 1666-89. Collection of maps and plans of Portsmouth. (Manuscript) (P/42) Dartmouth, Baron (English) 1664-70. Plans of Tangier, executed by various hands including Thomas Phillips, military engineer. (Manuscript) (P/43) Number not used. (Manuscript) (P/44) Gomme, Sir Bernard de (English) 1666/7 and 1672. Two plans of the citadel at Plymouth. (Manuscript) (P/45) Number not used. (Manuscript) (P/46) Number not used. Item available under G218:8/2, see collections online. (Manuscript) (P/47) Gomme, Sir Bernard de and Phillips, Thomas (English) 1680. Channel Islands Survey. (Manuscript) (P/48) Dartmouth, Baron (English) ca.1580-1673. Collection of maps of Ireland. (Manuscript) (P/49) Neptunis Cambro Britannicus : being a compleat collection of charts of all the principall roads and harbours on the coasts of Wales ... (Atlas) (P/50)