Al-Bakri

Al-Bakri (Arabic: البكري), Abu Ubayd Abdullah ibn Abd-al-Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Ayyub ibn Amr al-Bakri (1014–1094), was an Andalusian Arab geographer, historian, and botanist. Although he spent his entire life in Cordoba and Seville, in Al-Andalus (Islamic Iberia), he compiled a detailed geographical compendium of the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa, drawing upon accounts of traders, travelers, and previous scholars. His works are particularly valuable for their descriptions of the geography, peoples, and cultures of those regions, including information about the early Ghana Empire.

Al-Bakri is best known for two major works:

• Kitab al-Masalik wa al-Mamalik (كتاب المسالك والممالك), "Book of Roads and Kingdoms" or "Book of Routes and Realms," a geographical dictionary offering descriptions of places and peoples throughout the Islamic world and beyond. While the complete work is no longer extant, substantial portions have survived, providing invaluable historical and geographical information.

• Mu'jam ma ista'jam min asma' al-bilad wa al-mawadi' (معجم ما استعجم من أسماء البلاد والمواضع), "Dictionary of what is obscure of the names of countries and places." This is a gazetteer or geographical dictionary intended to clarify ambiguous placenames.

Al-Bakri's work is characterized by its meticulous compilation of information from diverse sources. He carefully cited his sources, allowing later scholars to assess the reliability of his data. His writings provide crucial insights into the political, economic, and cultural landscape of the 11th century, particularly for regions where contemporary accounts are scarce. He is considered a significant figure in the development of Arabic geography.