The Contribution of Al-Masudi and Al-Idrizi to the Science of Geography and History

Abstract

Al-Masudi and Al-Idrizi, are two of the most well-known Muslim scientists of middle age era. They became famous not only through Muslim lands, but their fame reached four corners of the earth during that period of time. Al-Masud during his life visited a lot of countries around the world getting to know them closely. During those visits, he wrote quiet a lot of books mainly history-geography. His most important work is “Muruj-el-Mezahabut ue el-Ma-Adin el-javahir”. In this book he gives plenty theoretical information regarding the world geography. The map drawn by Al-Masudi are considered as most accurate and most detailed compare to anything drawn before his time. On this map, Al-Masudi reveals a huge earth, while identifying unknown territories stretching beyond the ocean of fog and darkness (this corresponding with the continent invented many years after called, America).

Al-Idrisi gave a huge contribution of developing the science of geography and cartography. Some scholars consider Al-Idrisi the greatest geographer and cartographer of the Middle Ages.  In order to gather exact data, he travelled through a lot of counties of the world known at that time. His fame earned through his travels and his research granted him an invitation at the court of the King of Sicily, Roger II. He was asked to come up with a Universal Geography based on data from experience observers. The process of gathering and valuating materials lasted fifteen years. After that, began the work in process of drawing the map. Once he finished the map Al-Idrisi worked a silver globe weighting 882 pound. On this globe he revealed seven continents of the world, on a detailed way.  He attached to this globe a book as well, titled: “El-Kitab el-Ruxhari”. Roger II named the book: “Kitab nuzhat el-Mushtak fi Ikhtirak el-Afak”. Regarding his drawings in the shape of a globe he explained that this globe symbolizes the shape of earth, standing on air in cosmos.  Also, on this book he divided the earth on seven climates.