Van Dyck, Edward Cornelius

Edward Cornelius Van Dyck (d. 1313 AH / 1895–1896 CE) was an educator, historian, and bibliographer based in Cairo, best known for his comprehensive catalog of printed Arabic literature, Iktifa al-Qanu bima huwa Matbu Mujam al-Matbuat al-Arabi…+1.

Life and Career

Edward Van Dyck was the son of the American physician and missionary Dr. Cornelius Van Dyck, who lived and worked in Beirut, Sidon, and Mount Lebanon Iktifa al-Qanu bima huwa …+1. He was born in Lebanon and graduated from the American University of Beirut al-Mustashriqun li Najib …. He subsequently settled in Cairo, Egypt, where he was appointed as a teacher of English Mujam al-Matbuat al-Arabi…+1. Biographical sources record his death in 1313 AH (1895–1896 CE), while Umar Rida Kahhala notes him as being alive before 1310 AH (1893 CE) Mujam al-Matbuat al-Arabi…+1.

Scholarly Contributions

Van Dyck compiled Iktifa al-Qanu bima huwa Matbu (Sufficiency of the Contented with What Is Printed), a bibliographic work documenting both ancient and modern Arabic books issued by printing presses across the East and the West al-Mustashriqun li Najib …. The text was corrected and verified by the Egyptian scholar and head of the Khedivial Library, Sayyid Muhammad Ali al-Bablawi, and published in Cairo at al-Hilal Press in 1313 AH (1896 CE) al-Madkhal ila Sahih al-B…+1.

In addition to bibliography, he co-authored with Constantine Philippides a historical study titled Tarikh al-Arab wa-Adabuhum (History of the Arabs and Their Literature), which was printed at Bulaq in 1310 AH (1893 CE) under the sponsorship of the Egyptian Ministry of Education Mujam al-Muallifin+1. The book provided a concise account of the geography of the Arabian Peninsula, pre-Islamic and Islamic history, the evolution of Arabic literature and sciences, and biographies of prominent authors and poets Iktifa al-Qanu bima huwa ….