Al-Bayan al-Mughrib
Encyclopedia
'Kitāb al-bayān al-mughrib fī ākhbār mulūk al-andalus wa'l-maghrib' (Book of the Amazing Story of the History of the Kings of al-Andalus and Maghreb) is an important medieval text on the history of the Maghreb
(Morocco
and Algeria
) and Iberia
, written in Arabic in Marrakech
in about the year 1312 by Ibn Idhari
. It is widely regarded among modern researchers as containing valuable information not found elsewhere, including excerpts from older works now lost. It is generally known by its short title al-Bayān al-Mughrib (The Amazing Story; ) or even just as the Bayān.
The author himself divided the work into three parts:
While the Arabic text of the first two parts has been known for some considerable time, portions of the third part only came to light during the 20th century. This part is still known only in incomplete form because of missing pages (including beginning and end) and insect damage to the manuscripts. Nevertheless, the fragments are important in correcting many of the errors and omissions of the more widely known Rawd al-Qirtas
.
The Arabic text of the first two parts was first published in the 19th century by Dozy
; a second corrected edition of these parts was published in 1948 by Colin and Levi-Provençal. The 1983 Beirut edition published by Ihsan Abbas includes the incomplete Part 3.
There are few translations. Fagnan's 1901 French translation, based on Dozy's edition, is not favourably regarded. There are a number of Spanish translations, most notably those by Huici Miranda.
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
(Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
) and Iberia
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, written in Arabic in Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
in about the year 1312 by Ibn Idhari
Ibn Idhari
Abū al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Idhāri al-Marrākushi who lived in the late 13th and the early 14th century, was the author of an important medieval text on the history of the Maghreb and Iberia written in 1312.Little is known about the life of this author, who was born in Al-Andalus and...
. It is widely regarded among modern researchers as containing valuable information not found elsewhere, including excerpts from older works now lost. It is generally known by its short title al-Bayān al-Mughrib (The Amazing Story; ) or even just as the Bayān.
The author himself divided the work into three parts:
- History of the MaghrebMaghrebThe Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
from the coming of Islam to the twelfth century - History of Al-AndalusAl-AndalusAl-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
(Muslim Iberia) over the same period - History of the Almoravids and AlmohadAlmohadThe Almohad Dynasty , was a Moroccan Berber-Muslim dynasty founded in the 12th century that established a Berber state in Tinmel in the Atlas Mountains in roughly 1120.The movement was started by Ibn Tumart in the Masmuda tribe, followed by Abd al-Mu'min al-Gumi between 1130 and his...
s
While the Arabic text of the first two parts has been known for some considerable time, portions of the third part only came to light during the 20th century. This part is still known only in incomplete form because of missing pages (including beginning and end) and insect damage to the manuscripts. Nevertheless, the fragments are important in correcting many of the errors and omissions of the more widely known Rawd al-Qirtas
Rawd al-Qirtas
is a history of Morocco written in Arabic in the 1326 C.E. It includes many details about the wider Moroccan empire in Iberian Peninsula and Algeria....
.
The Arabic text of the first two parts was first published in the 19th century by Dozy
Reinhart Dozy
Reinhart Pieter Anne Dozy was a Dutch scholar of French origin, who was born in Leiden...
; a second corrected edition of these parts was published in 1948 by Colin and Levi-Provençal. The 1983 Beirut edition published by Ihsan Abbas includes the incomplete Part 3.
There are few translations. Fagnan's 1901 French translation, based on Dozy's edition, is not favourably regarded. There are a number of Spanish translations, most notably those by Huici Miranda.