gems

Yāqūt al-Ḥamawī’s great thirteenth-century geographical dictionary is an alphabetically arranged encyclopedia of cities, villages, regions, mountains, rivers, deserts, and other geographical names throughout the Islamic world and adjoining lands. Drawing on earlier geographical and historical literature as well as information gathered during his extensive travels, Yāqūt discusses the spelling and derivation of place names, geographical position, distances and routes, local history, notable inhabitants, legends, natural features, and characteristic products. The work preserves a vast quantity of information from sources that are now lost and frequently incorporates poetry and historical anecdotes connected with particular places. Of special value for the history of gems and minerals are references scattered throughout the geographical entries to mining districts, precious stones, metals, and other mineral products, together with their places of origin and trade. Muʿjam al-buldān is consequently an essential source for reconstructing medieval Islamic geographical knowledge and for identifying the localities associated in Arabic literature with mineral and gemstone production.