{"product_id":"islamic-mirabilia-two-important-books-in-one-hayat-al-hayawan-al-kubra-kitab-ajaib-al-makhluqat-wa-al-hayawanat-wa-gharaib-al-mawjudat-i-e-the-life-of-major-animals-along-with-its-marginal-notes-2-volumes-set","title":"[ISLAMIC MIRABILIA: TWO IMPORTANT BOOKS IN ONE] Hayât al-hayawân al-kubrâ [.] kitâb 'Ajâ'ib al-makhlûqât wa-al-hayawânât wa-gharâ'ib al-mawjûdât... [i.e., The life of major animals, along with its marginal notes... 2 volumes set","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eCOMPLETE TITLE: [ISLAMIC “MIRABILIA”: TWO IMPORTANT BOOKS IN ONE] حياة الحيوان الكبيرى، لكمال الدين الدميري. وبهامشيه بقيَّة كتاب عجائب المخلوقات والحيوانات وغرائب الموجودات، لزكريا ابن محمد ابن محمود القزويني \/ Hayât al-hayawân al-kubrâ, li-Kamâl al-Dîn al-Damîrî. Wa-bi-hâmishihî baqîyat kitâb 'Ajâ'ib al-makhlûqât wa-al-hayawânât wa-gharâ'ib al-mawjûdât, li-Zakarîyâ ibn Muhammad ibn Mahmûd al-Qazwînî. [i.e., The life of major animals, along with its marginal notes, includes the remainder of the wonders of creation, or literally, Marvels of things created and miraculous aspects of things existing]. 2 volumes set.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAL-DAMIRI, KAMAL AL-DIN MUHAMMAD IBN MUSA (1341-1405); ABÛ YAHYÂ ZAKARIYYÂ’ IBN MUHAMMAD IBN MAHMŪD AL-QAZWÎNÎ\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e(1203-1283).\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eMatba'ah al-Âmirah al-Sharafîyah, [Cairo], Misr (Egypt), AH 1316 Safer-i Haram [CE June 1898].\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eOriginal quarter calf over brown cloth boards with flap, both boards decorated with inlaid floral motifs. 4to. (27 × 19 cm). In Arabic. 8 (index), 320, 343, [1 blank], 8 (index) p. Corners slightly bumped, gilt decoration on the boards somewhat faded. Professionally restored, hinges and spine in very good condition. Light foxing and toning to pages and edges. Overall, a very good copy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eEarly Arabic edition of these two intertwined classical sources on animals, both of which are the most comprehensive medieval Islamic works on zoology and natural history. Printed at al-Matba'a al-'Âmira al-Sharafiyya, Cairo, a private Arabic press active from at least the 1880s to the early 20th century (ca. between 1300-1327 AH \/ 1883-1909), known for Arabic classical literary, grammatical, and educational works.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe first book by al-Damîrî, a prominent zoologist and natural historian in Mamluk-era Egypt, provides a comprehensive overview of the animal kingdom, focusing extensively on animals and their characteristics, drawing on both scientific sources and local knowledge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe book, which is one of the most comprehensive medieval Islamic works on animals, contains extensive citations from earlier Islamic scholars, including Ibn Mâsawayh, Ibn Sînâ, and others. Al-Damîrî also supplements these with his own observations and local reports.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe second book in the margin and the second volume is \"Ajâ'ib al-Makhlûqât\", an important work of paradoxography and cosmography by Zakariya al-Qazwini, who was born in Qazwin in 1203 shortly before the Mongol invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire. It’s \"the most precious cosmography of the Islamic culture\" (Brockelmann). The book was immensely popular and is preserved today in many copies. It was translated into his native Persian language and later also into Turkish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eConsisting of two main parts, the book includes Qazwini's classification of the Islamic cosmography and zoology, which is accepted and used in Islamic literature and science. In his book, Qazwini described and systematized many terms known in Islamic mythology for the first time in her work, such as Ya'juj and Ma'juj [i.e., Gog and Magog], the Anqa or Simurgh [i.e., Phoenix], Homa, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eAfter four introductory sections, Qazwini turns to the main subject. In the first treatise, he provides information on the ulviyyât (the celestial, or \"above the moon\" realm). This material is organized into thirteen sections (nazar) and covers the nature, forms, positions, and movements of the spheres; the seven planets (Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn); the fixed stars; the zodiac; the sphere of spheres (falakü'l-eflâk); the celestial beings (Azrâil, Mîkâil, Cebrâil, İsrâfil, as well as Münker and Nekir); and temporal concepts such as night, day, months (Arabic, Roman, and Persian), and seasons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe second treatise concerns the süfliyyât (sub-lunar, or \"below the moon\" realm) and is similarly divided into sections and subsections. It deals with the four elements, the sphere of fire, the sphere of air (including clouds, rain, wind, thunder, lightning), and water-related wonders, as well as the terrestrial sphere and some of its chapters. Subsequent parts of the work cover seas, islands, wells, the composition of minerals, plants, trees, animals, humans, jinn, giants, birds, and reptiles. The concluding section discusses the wonders of seas and lands. The second treatise is considerably more extensive than the first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIn preparing his work, Qazwini drew on approximately twenty sources, including al-Jahiz's Kitâb al-Hayawân, the Arabic translation of Aristotle’s Historia Animalium (Kitâb al-Hayawân), and the works of Abû Hâmid al-Gharnâtî and Muhammad b. Mahmûd al-Tûsî, among others, particularly noted the titles he explicitly cites.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eAs of March 2026, some earlier and later editions are located in OCLC; we couldn’t trace any copies for this edition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Khalkedon Rare Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46927675916419,"sku":null,"price":2500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0390\/3294\/6819\/files\/38_sml.jpg?v=1775503458","url":"https:\/\/khalkedonrarebooks.com\/products\/islamic-mirabilia-two-important-books-in-one-hayat-al-hayawan-al-kubra-kitab-ajaib-al-makhluqat-wa-al-hayawanat-wa-gharaib-al-mawjudat-i-e-the-life-of-major-animals-along-with-its-marginal-notes-2-volumes-set","provider":"Khalkedon Rare Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}