The Book of Curiosities (Arabic: Kitāb Gharā’ib al-funūn wa-mulaḥ al-ʿuyūn, literally translated as Book of Curiosities of the Sciences and Marvels for the Eyes) is an anonymous 11th-century Arabic cosmography from Fatimid Egypt containing a series of early illustrated maps of the world and celestial diagrams of the universe and sky. The Book of Curiosities contains 17 maps in total, 14 of which are extremely rare not only in Islamic cartography but also in greater medieval map history. The cosmography includes the earliest recorded map of Sicily as well as a rectangular world map, considered the earliest surviving map with a graphic scale. The autograph manuscript has not survived, but the Bodleian Library of Oxford University acquired one of the only known copies of the manuscript in 2002, making its contents widely accessible today due to its digitization. Based on the production processes and physical materials of the copy, such as paper and pigment, scholars date the production of this copy to the early 13th century.
Historical Context and Authorship
The author of The Book of Curiosities does not provide his name, but over the course of the treatise reveals information about himself by referencing historical events that occurred during his time. Scholars have been able to authenticate these events during history and situate him and the manuscript's composition between 1020 and 1050 AD. Moreover, the author is believed to have lived in Egypt and composed the cosmography during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph-Imams, as he acknowledges the legitimacy of the Fatimid Imams in a passage at the beginning of the treatise, where he even provides a brief history of the dynasty. The manuscript is also dedicated to a patron, who is similarly unnamed.
Professor Emilie Savage-Smith of Oxford University emphasizes the importance of seeing the universe as both a macrocosm and a microcosm in order to understand the "structure and composition of The Book of Curiosities," as the treatise covers both terrestrial and celestial concepts. She defines the macrocosm as the "entire celestial universe," whereas the microcosm is "the earthly realm of humans regarded as a miniature reflection of the universe."
Content and Composition
Content
The Book of Curiosities contains both historical and geographical writing and descriptions, as well as maps and illustrations. The chapters are methodical and almost academic in style, with the first chapters covering "basic principles" and the later chapters going deeper to discuss stars, comets, planets, winds, and earthquakes. The treatise is sectioned into two books, although there is some debate over whether the author intended to split the cosmography into five parts. Book I charts the heavens over 10 chapters, covering subjects such as astronomy, astrology, and "star lore." During this time, telescopes had not yet been invented so Book I depicts only the five planets that could be seen by the naked eye (Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). Egyptians at the time, however, knew that the earth was spherical, as the author gives an account of the circumference of the earth. Book II details the earth in 25 chapters. The author cites several external sources throughout the treatise, and has indicated that Book II draws from the Geography of Ptolemy. The author includes two world maps in the book, one circular and one rectangular. Book II also contains maps of the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean, and the Caspian, as well as river-maps of the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Indus, the Oxus, and the Nile. The author does not limit his scope to just sky and sea, and spends the last five chapters of the book discussing "'curiosities' such as monstrous animals and wondrous plants."
Savage-Smith refers to the manuscript as "a reader’s digest guide to the universe" due to the deluge of information which the author presents in simple wording that lacks technical detail. The author's focus is more historical and geographical, rather than mathematical. The cosmography was thus not intended for practical use on a ship, but more-so for wealthy Fatimid patrons who were less versed in the technicalities of cartography and navigation.