Union Catalogue of Manuscripts from the Islamicate World

K. 1 (University Library, Cambridge University)

E. G. Browne Collection

Contents

Summary of Contents: A Persian treatise on Geography. The work appears to have been translated from the Arabic original of which the authorship is uncertain. The date is indicated by two passages on f. 11v and 13v, where Spain is spoken of as ‘still in the hands of the Umayyads’, and as ruled by ʻAbd al-Raḥmān III, Caliph of Cordova, 891-961, who reigned 912-961 and who adopted the title of caliph in 929 CE (317 AH). The mention of numerous fire-temples in Fars also points to an early date, for example on f. 33r : ذکر آتشکدهای فارس ، هیج ناحیتی و روستائی نیست که نه درو آتش گاهی هست آنچه بزرگترست و معروفتر ازآن یاد کنیم، . This copy of the manuscript is imperfect at the beginning and end. There are certainly some dislocations and some of the leaves at the end should be at the beginning. The regions are treated in the following order: Arabia on f. 1r and from f. 95 to 97v, The Maghrib and North West Spain on f. 11r, Egypt on f. 15r, Syria on f. 17r, Mesopotamia on f. 19r, Iraq on f. 21v, Khuzistan on f. 26r, The Mediterranean Sea on 27r, Fars including an account of the fire temples on f. 30r, Khuzistan on f. 40r, Kurdistan on f. 42r, Transoxiana on f. 60r, Khwarizm on f. 83r.
Incipit: و از آنجا تا دریا دو میل باشد و هم جند فید فید در ولایت بنی طی باشد
Language(s): Persian
1. f. 5r
Title: The Persian Gulf
2. f. 9r
Title: Western Mediterranian, Spain and North Africa
3. f. 16v
Title: Syria
4. f. 19r
Title: Region of the Tigris and Ehphrates
Title: بحر محیط
5. f. 22r
Title: Iraq
6. f. 28r
Title: Mediterranian
7. f. 38r
Title: South West Persia
8. f. 41v
Title: Fars
9. f. 43r
Title: North East Persia
10. f. 48v
Title: Khurasan and Transoxiana
11. f. 60v
Title: Khwarizm, Sughd, etc. (Eastern Central Asia)
12. f. 87v
Title: Map of the Old World from Spain to China
13. f. 94v
Title: The Arabian Peninsula

References

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: 97ff.
Dimensions (leaf): 31.5 × 23 cm.

Layout

ca. 15 lines to the page

Hand(s)

Written in a large and generally clear ta'liq but many diacritical points are omitted, so that the reading of place-names is often very uncertain.

Decoration

Schematic maps of the following regions

  • f. 5r The Persian Gulf
  • f. 9r Western Mediterranean, Spain and North Africa
  • f. 16v Syria
  • f. 19r Region of the Tigris and Ehphrates بحر محیط
  • f. 22r Iraq
  • f. 28r Mediterranean
  • f. 38r South West Persia
  • f. 41v Fars
  • f. 43r North East Persia
  • f. 48v to 49r Khurasan and Transoxiana
  • f. 60v to 61r Khwarizm, Sughd, etc. (Eastern Central Asia)
  • f. 87v to 88r Map of the Old World from Spain to China
  • f. 94v The Arabian Peninsula

History

Origin: undated

Provenance and Acquisition

Bequest of E. G. Browne.

Record Sources

"Manuscript description based on. R. A. Nicholson: A descriptive catalogue of the Oriental MSS belonging to the late E.G. Browne. Cambridge, 1932. ", abbreviated by the OCIMCO project team.

Availability

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card for admissions procedures contact Cambridge University Library Admissions). Contact near_eastern@lib.cam.ac.uk for further information on the availability of this manuscript

Funding of Cataloguing

JISC


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