Mardi ibn Ali al-Tarsusi was a 12th-century

Ayyubid The Ayyubid dynasty ( ar, الأيوبيون '; ) was the founding dynasty of the medieval Sultan of Egypt, Sultanate of Egypt established by Saladin in 1171, following his abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate, Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt. A Sunni ...

-era writer and expert on

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

matters. He wrote a number of treatises, including a military manual for

Saladin Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadi () ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known by the epithet Saladin,, ; ku, سه‌لاحه‌دین, ; was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from an ethnic Kurdish family, he was the first of both Egypt and ...

in 1187. His writings have proved an invaluable resource for medieval and military historians. Tarsusi 1187 military manual describes various throwing machines including mangonels and trebuchets. In ''On the Social Origins of Medieval Institutions'', more detailed quotes by Tarsusi may be found on the various types of trebuchets. The well known treatise was entitled ''Tabsirat arbab al-albab fi kayfiyat al-najah fi al-hurub min al-anwa' wa-nashr he manini ahla renoshr a'lam al-a'lam fi al-'udad wa-al-alat al-mu'inah 'ala liqa' al-a'da' '', or "Information for the intelligent on how to escape injury in combat; and the unfurling of the banners of instruction on equipment and engines which assist in encounters with enemies."Needham 1986:42

Notes

References

* Claude Cahen, 'Une Traité d'Armurerie Composé Pour Saladin,' Bulletin d'études Orientals 12 (1947-1948) pp. 103-163 (edition and partial translation) * A. Boudot-Lamotte and F. Viré, ''Contribution à l'Etude de l'Archerie Musulmane'' (Institute Français de Damas: Damascus 1968) OCLC 2000537 (edition and translation of archery chapters from Murdî Ibn ˀAlî Murdî al-Tarsusî) *Needham, Joseph, ''Science and civilisation in China'', 1986, Cambridge University Press,
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Nicolle, David David C. Nicolle (born 4 April 1944) is a British historian specialising in the military history of the Middle Ages, with a particular interest in the Middle East. David Nicolle worked for BBC Arabic before getting his MA at SOAS, University ...

; McBride, Angus; ''Saladin and the Saracens'', 1986, Osprey Publishing {{DEFAULTSORT:al-Tarsusi, Mardi ibn Ali Medieval military writers 12th-century Arabic writers Technology in the medieval Islamic world