Details

Subject(s)

• Geography, Medieval—Early works to 1800 [Browse]
• Voyages and travels—Early works to 1800 [Browse]
• Manuscripts, Arabic—New Jersey—Princeton [Browse]

Related name

• Princeton University. Library. Manuscript. Islamic Manuscripts, Garrett no. 588H [Browse]

Donor

• Garrett, Robert, 1875-1961 [Browse]

Rare books genre

• Watermarks (Paper) [Browse]

Summary note

A cosmographical work, being a description of the wonders seen by the author in his travels. It is divided into four sections, namely: (1) a description of the world and its inhabitants; (2) the wonders and remarkable structures of various lands; (3) description of the seas and the wonders of its animals, of ambergris, pitch, naphtha and fire in its islands; (4) description of graves and tombs.

Notes

• Ms. codex.
• Title from title page (fol. 1a).
• On the title page is a statement from Ḥā̄jjī Khalīfah, Kashf al-ẓunūn (1835-58), II, p. 222 to the effect that the author died after 560 [1164/5]. Folios 26b-29b, 30b-31b, and the verso of the following folio contain historical accounts about early Islamic figures including Caliph ʻAbd al-Mālik ibn Marwān, ʻAlī ibn Jabalah al-ʻAkawwak, Hārūn al-Rashīd and Jabalah ibn al-Ayham.
• Collation: Paper ; fol. i + 31 + ii ; catchwords ; modern foliation in pencil using Western numerals.
• Layout: 23-25 lines per page.
• Description: Watermarks (three crescents, roman-alphabet letters "VG"; 3 faces-in-the-moon) ; MS in good condition.
• Incipit: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم رب يسر ولا تعسر رب تممر بالخير الحمد لله الذي ابدع العالم على توحيده فشهد كل موجود بوجوده ... اما بعد ان الله سبحانه وتعالى جلت قدرته وشملت رحمته قدمن علي جميع العباد نعما ما لها تناه ...
• Colophon: وقد تم الکتاب والله الهادي الى الصواب وهو الملك الوهاب والحمد لله رب العالمين وصلى الله على سيدنا ومولانا وهادينا ومهدينا محمد وعلى آل محمد وصحبه وازواجه وذريته واهل بيته عدد کل حرف کتب ويکتب ابد الابدين ودهر الداهرين الى ان يرث الله الارض ومن عليها وهو خير الوارثين امين تم

Binding note

Later quarter-bound type III (without flap) binding in material and blue marbled paper. Brown paper pastedowns and endpapers.

Provenance

Acquired from Brill, Leyden, 1900.

Source acquisition

Gift ; Robert Garrett, Class of 1897 ; 1942.

References

• Hitti, P. Garrett Coll., 766.
• al-Maqqarī (Leyden), p. 617.
• Ḥājjī Khalīfah, Kashf al-ẓunūn (1835-58), II, p. 222.
• Ahlwardt, Verzeichnis der arabischen Handschriften, 6038/9.
• Catalogue des manuscrits arabes de la Bibliothèque Nationale, 2167-71.
• Rieu, Supplement of the catalogue of the Arabic Mss, 686.

Other format(s)

Also available in an electronic version.

Other title(s)

تحفة الالباب ونخبة الاعجاب

Also known as

• Tuḥfat al-albāb wa-nukhbat al-aʻjāb

OCLC

1340420823

Statement on responsible collection description

Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...