Almería’s Historian Ibn Khātimah Al-Anṣārī (Died in 770 A.H. /1369 A.D.) and His book Maziyyat Almería ‘ala ghaireha min al-belad al-andalusiyyah (The Advantage of Almería over Other Andalusian Cities)

A Study of His Manuscript and Other Texts

Abstract

Almería was the sea gate of Al-Andalus throughout history. Through Almería, Al-Andalus was able to strengthen its relationships with the Islamic countries surrounding it. The Islamic rule in Almería along with Granada ended when Banu Al-Ahmar’s rule over Al-Andalus (635- 897 A.H./1238-1492 A.D.) came to an end. Allah is predominant over His affair.  The 8th Hijri century in the Kingdom of Granada was characterized by the occurrence of a number of men of letters, including Lisan-Ad-Din Ibn Al-Khatib in Granada and Ibn Khātimah Al-Anṣārī who was Almería’s poet and historian in his time. Like Granada about which Ibn Al-Khatib wrote his book ‘Al-’Ihātah fi Akhbār Gharnātah (Compendium on Granada)’, there was a book which dealt with the history of Almería, and provided biographies of its most famous people; this book is Ibn Khātimah’s ‘Maziyyat Almería ‘ala ghaireha min al-belad al-andalusiyyah’ (The Advantage of Almería over Other Andalusian Cities)’. This study traced the historical background of Ibn Khātimah’s works, and the remaining part of his book ‘Maziyyat Almería ‘ala ghaireha min al-belad al-andalusiyyah’ and the other manuscripts discussing it. The study also addressed the method and sources of this book, and its historical value compared to the other Andalusian works and biographies.