The BA Publishes Kitab al-Tohfa al-Saneyya be Asmaa al-Belad al-Mesreya by Ibn al-Jīʿān
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The BA Center for Islamic Civilization Studies has published a book entitled Kitab al-Tohfa al-Saneyya be Asmaa al-Belad al-Mesreya by Ibn al-Jīʿān who was Mostawfi Diwan al-Gaysh during the reign of al-Ashraf Qaitbay. Dr. Ayman Fouad Sayyed edited the book, which is a copy preserved in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. It was originally copied in 883A.H/ 1478A.D for Amir Yashbak min Mahdy, who was Dawadar Kabir during the reign of al-Ashraf Qaitbay. The importance of the book lies in the fact that it is the last administrative geographical book that could be found from the Mamluk era, which represents a type of authorship that has particularly flourished in Islamic Egypt since the Ayyubid era, and it is the most complete source that could be reached regarding the geography of Egypt. Organized in alphabetical order, the book comprises the names of Egyptian cities and villages at that time, whose spaces are highlighted in acres. It also touches on different regions such as Cairo, Qalyubia, Sharqia, Dakahlia, Fayoum, Manfalout, Assiut, Qus, in addition to Damietta, Alexandria, Aswan and Ithab.