Al-Ibshīhī ( ar, مُحمَّد بن أحمد بن منصور الأبشيهي المحلي) (1388-1448) was an Egyptian writer born in the small town in the

Governorate of Gharbeya Gharbia Governorate ( ar, محافظة الغربية ', ) is one of the governorates of Egypt. It is located in the north of the country, south of Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, and north of Monufia Governorate. Its capital is Tanta, which is 90&n ...

, in the

Nile Delta The Nile Delta ( ar, دلتا النيل, or simply , is the delta formed in Lower Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to ...

Works

Al-Ibshīhī's best known work is the ''Kitāb al-Mustaṭraf'' more fully known as ''Mustaṭraf fī kull fann mustaẓraf'' ('A Quest for Attainment in Each Fine Art'). As characterised by the ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The ( Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various ...

'', this was 'a very individual encyclopaedia ... that covered the Islamic religion, conduct, law, spiritual qualities, work, natural history, music, food, and medicine. At the turn of the Arab fortunes, al-Ibshīhī had recapitulated all that was best in their culture'.Robert L. Collison and Warren E. Preece
History of encyclopaedias
, ''Encyclopædia Britannica''.

Editions

* al-Ibshīhī. ''al-Mustaṭraf fī kull fann mustaẓraf''. 2 vols. Beirut: Dār Maktabat al-Ḥayāh, 1992.

References

1388 births 1448 deaths 14th-century Arabic writers 15th-century Arabic writers Egyptian writers Encyclopedists of the medieval Islamic world {{Egypt-writer-stub