Arab Sailing Directions of the African Coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the First Half of the 14th Century

Abstract

The paper is devoted to a comparative analysis of two sailing directions of the African coast of the Mediterranean Sea, included in the geographical work of Abu-l-Fida “Systematization of countries” (Takwim al-buldan, 1321—1331) and in the historical-geographical encyclopedia “Ways for viewing states with large cities” (Masalik al-absar fi mamalik al-amsar) of his younger contemporary al-ʽUmari (1301—1349). The content and composition of both sailing directions are considered, their toponymic nomenclature is compared with the data of the early European navigational aids Lo Compasso da navegare and Carte Pisane, conclusions are drawn both about the sources of their information and the methods of work of Arab scientists, and about the role of cross-cultural contacts in the accumulation and circulation of information about navigation routes in the southern part of the Mediterranean Sea and about the toponymy of the African sea coast in the first half of the 14th century.