Yaqut (Yaqut ibn-'Abdullah al-Rumi al-Hamawi) (1179 - 1229) was a Syrian biographer and geographer. "al-Rumi" refers to his Greek (Byzantine) parentage, "al-Hamawi" means that he is from Hama, Syria, and ibn-Abdullah means his father's name was Abdullah. Yaqut was known for his encyclopedia writings of the muslim world. He was sold to someone from Baghdad, where he got a good education as a slave. Later on he was liberated and made several journeys.

The manuscript copier is famous for the books Mu'jam al-buldân (معجم البلدان) which he started in 1224 and finished in 1228 CE, one year before he died. He also wrote Mu'jam al-udaba' , (معجم الادباء "Dictionary of Writers") written in 1226.

The book Mu'jam al-buldân is written in rhyming prose, a style very often used until the twentieth century in the Arab world. It's a kind of "literary geography", because he also tells the history and mythes related to the places.

He also wrote the al-Mushtarak wadh'a wa al-Muftaraq Sa'qa ( المشترک وضعا و المفترق صعقا ), a version of which was printed in 1845 by Wüstenfeld.

External link

• Yaqut's biography

1179 births | 1229 deaths | Arab explorers

ياقوت الحموي | Yaqout al-Rumi | Abu Abdallah Yaqut ibn-Abdallah al-Rumi al-Hamawi | Якут (географ)