al-Jibal wal-Amkina wal-Miyah
- Author died
- 538 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Faḍīlah lil-Nashr wa-al-Tawzī‘
al-Jibal wal-Amkina wal-Miyah (The Mountains, Places, and Waters) is a concise geographical dictionary authored by the scholar and lexicographer Abu al-Qasim Mahmud ibn Umar al-Zamakhshari (467–538 AH / 1075–1144 CE) . The work defines toponyms, mountains, valleys, and water stations, serving as a reference for topographical names occurring in Arabic literature, poetry, and historical accounts .
Title and Structure
The work is commonly titled Kitāb al-Jibāl wa-al-Amkina wa-al-Miyāh, but appears in bibliographical traditions under slight variations, including Kitāb al-Amkina wa-al-Jibāl wa-al-Miyāh and al-Jibāl wa-al-Miyāh wa-al-Amkina . Haji Khalifa recorded it under multiple entries in Kashf al-Zunun, noting its concise format and alphabetical arrangement .
The dictionary is organized into alphabetical chapters according to the first letter of each toponym (e.g., Mā fī Awwalihi al-Hamzah, Mā fī Awwalihi al-Bāʾ, Mā fī Awwalihi al-Zāy) . Each entry provides the name of the locality, mountain, valley, well, or water body, followed by a succinct description of its geographical setting, tribal ownership, or historical association .
Contents and Methodology
al-Zamakhshari focuses predominantly on the geography of the Arabian Peninsula, including the regions of the Hijaz, Najd, and Tihamah, as well as sacred landmarks around Mecca and Medina . Entries frequently specify:
- Physical features such as peaks (e.g., Mount Abu Qubays, Uhud), valleys (e.g., Batn Marr), and desert wells .
- Tribal territories and landmarks associated with tribes such as Hudhayl, Kinanah, Ghatafan, and Banu Uqayl .
- Poetic evidence (shawāhid) from pre-Islamic and early Islamic poets—including al-Harith ibn Hilliza, al-A'sha, Ibn Muqbil, and Mudarris—to verify names and contextualize their usage in classical Arabic verse .
- Transmissions from earlier authorities, philologists, and local informants, such as al-Asma'i, al-Kharzanjiy, al-Azhari via Ibn al-A'rabi, and the informant al-Sayyid 'Ulayy .
The text also drew heavily upon early geographical treatises, incorporating extensive material from Bilād al-ʿArab by Abu 'Ali al-Hasan ibn 'Abd Allah al-Isfahani (known as Lughdah), frequently aligning with its sequences of entries .
Manuscripts and Editions
Manuscript copies of the work are preserved in several international libraries, including the Leiden University Library, the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris, the Yeni Cami and Topkapı Palace (Ahmad III) collections in Istanbul, Cambridge University Library, and libraries in Medina, Cairo, and Riyadh .
The book has been edited and published in multiple modern editions:
- Edited by Ibrahim al-Samarra'i, published in Baghdad (1968) .
- Edited by Ahmad 'Abd al-Tawwab 'Iwad, published by Dar al-Fadilah in Cairo (1999 / 1419 AH) .
Answer updated