IO Islamic 1026 (Oriental Manuscripts, British Library)

The same Persian adaptation of the famous geographical work, probably completed in AH 340, which is AD 951-952, as a revised an enlarged edition of Abū Zayd Aḥmad b. Sahl al-Balkhī’s ابو زید احمد ابن سهل البلخی , d. AH 322, which is AD 934

'The Western Region', i.e. The Straits of Gibraltar, southern Spain (right) and North Africa (left). The sea is blue: town are circles of various colours and mountains are roughly triangular. 20 × 12 cm. .

Egypt, showing the lower reaches and mouth of the Nile, Alexandria in the ower right hand corner. 20 × 12 cm. .

Syria (Sham) showing the coast of Palestine, the Mountains of Lebanon, and the head of the Red Sea. The Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee appear as blue circles near the top. 20 × 12.5 cm. .

The Sea of Rum, i.e. The Mediterranean. On the left, the Nile Delta and Palestine; on the right, the southern coast of Asia Minor and Greece. The three islands in the middle are Sicily, Crete and Cyprus, and the Straits of Gibraltar are at the top. 20 × 12 cm. .

The region of Jazira, that is, Mesopotamia, with Kufa in the top right hand corner and Armenia lower left. 20 × 12 cm. .

Arab 'Iraq, with the Mouth of the Euphrates and the Persian Gulf (Darya i Fars) at the bottom. 20 × 12 cm. .

Khuzistan, with 'Abadan top left on the coast of the Persian Gulf. 20 × 12 cm. .

Fars, the Persian Gulf shown at the top: Shiraz and Isfahan are red circles, the former near the middle, and the latter in the lower right hand corner. 20 × 12 cm. .

The District of Kerman, the Persian Gulf at the top, and the road to Marw and Balkh issuing from the bottom left hand corner. 20 × 12 cm. .

Sind and part of India, the Persian Gulf at the top, into which flows the River Indus. 20 × 12 cm. .

Armenia and Azarbayjan. Darband on the Caspian in the top right hand corner and Ardabil slightly right of centre at the junction of three roads. 20 × 12 cm. .

Persian 'Iraq, the Caucasus at the top. Hamadan is shown just above and to the right of centre at the junction of roads, and Mt Damawand lower left. The Caspian Sea at the bottom. 20 × 12 cm. .

The Caspian provinces. The Caspian Sea on the right with Darband in the upper right hand corner. The Alburz Mountains (Kuh i Daylam) cross the map in a curve from top to bottom, with Mt Damawand to the left. 20 × 12 cm. .

The Caspian Sea, depicted as circular, Mt Damawand above, and the Alburz range (Kuh-hai Daylam) below. Darband is the green circle to the left and Amul is near the right hand edge. 20 × 12 cm. .

The area between Fars and Khurasan: Damghan is a red circle near the lower left hand corner and Isfahan another at the bottom edge towards the right. The Sistan lake appears upper left. 20 × 12 cm. .

Sistan. The star-shaped form towards the top is Mt Ghur, with Herat as a red circle above and to the left of it. The borders of Hindustan are at the bottom and right. 20 × 12 cm. .

Khurasan. The right hand half of this map larfely duplicates the preceding: the river Jihun (Oxus) crosses the top of the map. Nishapur and Marw (both shown as green circles) are among the most important places on f71r. Each 20 × 12 cm. .

Central Asia: the Sea of Khwarazm lower right of f78v, and Samarqand a red circle, left of centre, below the blue-coloured 'Mountains of Bukhara'. Along the lower river on f79r is written: 'Territories of ' Abdallah b. Hamid', Each 20 × 12 cm. .

References