Yaqut al-Hamawi

Yaqut al-Hamawi (yäkOOt' äl-hämäwē') [key], 1179–1229, Arab geographer. Born in Byzantium, he was bought as a slave by a merchant, al-Hamawi. He was freed on the death of his master and traveled extensively in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Persia. His Mujam al-Buldan, a geographical dictionary that includes much biographical, historical, and cultural data, is a primary source in Arabic scholarship.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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