Yaqut al-Hamawi

Yaqut ibn-'Abdullah al-Rumi al-Hamawi) (1179-1229) ( _ar. ياقوت الحموي الرومي) was a Syrian biographer and geographer. "al-Rumi" ("from Rûm") refers to his Greek (Byzantine) descent, "al-Hamawi" means that he is from Hama, Syria, and ibn-Abdullah means his father's name was Abdullah. The word "yaqut" means ruby. He was known for his encyclopedia writings of the Muslim world.

Yaqut was sold as a slave to someone who later moved to Baghdad. Upon recognizing his abilities, Yaqut's purchaser provided him with a good education. He was later freed and traveled a great deal. Yaqut also earned a living copying and selling manuscripts.

Works

*"Kitab mu'jam al-buldan"
*"Mu'jam al-udaba' ", (معجم الادباء "Dictionary of Writers") written in 1226.
*"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 links

* [http://www.bookrags.com/biography-yaqut-scit-021/ Yaqut's biography]