Al-Ibshīhī () (1388–1448) was an Egyptian writer born in the small town in the

Governorate of Gharbeya Gharbia ( ', , "the western governorate") is one of the governorates of Egypt. It is located in the north of the country, south of Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, and north of Monufia Governorate. Its capital is Tanta, which is 90 km north of C ...

, in the

Nile Delta The Nile Delta (, or simply , ) is the River delta, delta formed in Lower Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's larger deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the eas ...

Works

Al-Ibshīhī's best known work is the ''Kitāb al-Mustaṭraf'' more fully known as ''Mustaṭraf fī kull fann mustaẓraf'' ('A Quest for Attainment in Each Fine Art'). As characterised by the ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...

'', this was 'a very individual encyclopaedia ... that covered the Islamic religion, conduct, law, spiritual qualities, work, natural history, music, food, and medicine. At the turn of the Arab fortunes, al-Ibshīhī had recapitulated all that was best in their culture'.Robert L. Collison and Warren E. Preece
History of encyclopaedias
, ''Encyclopædia Britannica''.

Editions

* al-Ibshīhī. ''al-Mustaṭraf fī kull fann mustaẓraf''. 2 vols. Beirut: Dār Maktabat al-Ḥayāh, 1992.

References

1388 births 1448 deaths 14th-century Arabic-language writers 15th-century Arabic-language writers Egyptian writers Encyclopedists of the medieval Islamic world {{Egypt-writer-stub

Works

Editions

See also

References