Darb Al-Faluzig

Al-Baghdadi was born in a part of Baghdad, known as Darb Al-Faluzig; he studied the sciences of the Hadith(Hadίŧ), the Qur'an, and Islamic doctrine. He also acquired literature from Egyptian scholars and studied the books of Aristotle. He then went to Damascus, where he studied medicine. He traveled to various places in the Islamic world, and met with scholars and rulers. The most famous person he met was Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi(Al-NāŞir Şalāh El-Dίn Al-A'ayūbί), whom he described as, "A hero who fills the eye with splendor and the heart with love". He also met the Jewish, Cordovan philosopher, Musa ibn Maymun (Maimonides), and described him by saying, "He is a very virtuous man".

The corpus of Al-Baghdadi's work amounts to some 173 works in linguistics, doctrine, medicine, zoology, mathematics, and travel. Twenty of his works have survived. The book Al Ifada wal E'etebaar fi al Omour al Mushaahada wal Hawadith al Mo'oayana bi Ard Misr (To Profit and Consider the Specific Events in Egypt), is considered to be one of the most precious legacies of this man. This book was originally derived from a larger work entitled Akhbaar Misr (News of Egypt), which contained detailed information on Egypt, but unfortunately has not survived. Al-Baghdadi extracted the details he discussed in the book that were his personal observations.

Al-Baghdadi's book is in two essays; the first is of six chapters. Chapter one is a general discussion of Egypt. Chapters two to six deal, respectively, with the plants, the fauna, the ancient monuments, the singularity of its buildings and ships, and the special characteristics of its food.

The second essay is divided into two sections, the first deals with the Nile and its inundation and the river system. The second deals with the events of the years AH. 597, and 598 in Egypt. He describes the dreadful famine that befell the country. He also described a violent earthquake in Egypt, Syria and Cyprus, on the morning of Monday the 26th of Shaaban, and the aftershocks, at noon on the same day. Al-Baghdadi (Al-Baģdādί)used field research for all his cultural statements and applying the "ethnographic" method.



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