Istakhri, Abu Iskhak Al-Farisi, Al

Istakhri, Abu Iskhak Al-Farisi, Al

 

Born circa 850; died circa 934. Arab geographer.

Al-Istakhri, a native of Iran (presumably the province of Fars), traveled throughout his country and visited a number of central, south, and west Asian lands and, possibly, North Africa, Sicily, and Andalusia. He compiled the Book of the Routes of States (Kitab Masalik al-Mamalik, c. 930–933; became known, 950) from personal observations and literary sources. It contained geographic, political, and statistical information on the Muslim countries from western India to Morocco and Spain. Al-Istakhri influenced many Arab and Persian geographers.

REFERENCE

Krachkovskii, I. Iu. “Arabskaia geograficheskaia literatura.” Izbr. soch., vol. 4. Moscow-Leningrad, 1957.