Mawsuat Mirat al-Haramayn al-Sharifayn wa Jazirat al-Arab
- Author died
- 1308 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Āfāq al-‘Arabiyyah
Mawsuat Mirat al-Haramayn al-Sharifayn wa Jazirat al-Arab (Encyclopedia: Mirror of the Two Holy Sanctuaries and the Arabian Peninsula) is an Ottoman Turkish historical and geographical compendium authored by the Ottoman naval officer and historian Ayyub Sabri Pasha (d. 1308 AH / 1890 CE) . Written over seventeen years during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II, the work provides an encyclopedic survey of Mecca, Medina, and the broader Arabian Peninsula .
Composition and Purpose
Ayyub Sabri Pasha began compiling the work in 1289 AH and finished printing it in early Jumada al-Akhirah 1306 AH . His extended residence in the Holy Sanctuaries during his military career enabled him to collect extensive firsthand data, travel through the regions he described, and verify historical details directly . The author explained his choice of the title "Mirror" (Mir'at) by stating that just as an optical mirror brings distant objects into view, his work was intended to present a vivid, comprehensive panorama of the Hijaz and the Arabian Peninsula .
Structure and Contents
The original Ottoman text spans approximately 3,000 large-format pages arranged into three primary divisions across five parts :
- Mir'at Makka (Mirror of Mecca): Comprising two parts (pages 1–1145; published in 1884 CE), this volume details the history of Mecca from antiquity to the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II, its topography, boundaries, urban planning, roads, homes, and the customs of its inhabitants . It includes architectural descriptions of the Grand Mosque of Mecca, noting features such as its seven minarets .
- Mir'at al-Madina (Mirror of Medina): Also spanning two parts (pages 1146–2502; published in 1887 CE), it represents the first comprehensive encyclopedia dedicated to Medina written in Ottoman Turkish . It covers Medina's historical milestones from pre-Islamic times and the Prophetic emigration up to the late Ottoman era, its climate, agricultural produce, residential quarters, markets, city wall measuring 1,400 cubits, pastures such as Hima al-Baqi and Hima al-Rabadha, and an alphabetical gazetteer of surrounding villages and hills .
- Mir'at Jazirat al-Arab (Mirror of the Arabian Peninsula): A single-part volume of roughly 400 pages (pages 2503–2906; published in 1889 CE) written in six chapters as an appendix (dhayl) and summary to provide essential geographical, historical, and tribal context for the Holy Sanctuaries . It addresses the political history of the peninsula's dynasties, the Qarmatians, Yemeni rebellions, coastal geography and ports such as Jeddah, major routes, tribal lineages (including the Huwaytat, Juhayna, Bajala, Mutayr, and Banu Sulaym), Bedouin customs, laws, and equestrian heritage .
Methodology and Sources
Internally, each section of the encyclopedia is structured under thematic headings designated as wajha (aspect) and subdivided into units called sura (image) . Ayyub Sabri Pasha combined literary compilations with empirical investigation . For his treatment of Medina, he drew heavily on al-Samhudi's Khulasat al-Wafa bi-Akhbar Dar al-Mustafa, supplementing it with his own field observations, personal measurements, and oral accounts gathered from elderly residents of the region .
Modern Translation
In the early 1980s, an intact five-part copy of the Ottoman Turkish print was obtained from the Salih al-Khan bookstore in Ankara by Muhammad Harb . A specialized team of historians and Turkish-language scholars translated the encyclopedia into Arabic, and it was published by Dar al-Afaq al-Arabiyya .
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