Quand une édition imprimée redevient manuscrit: le Kitāb al-Masālik d’Ibn Ḥawqal (Rabat, Fondation ʿAllāl al-Fāsī, ʿayn 608)

Abstract

Summary: A new discovery of a late manuscript of Ibn Ḥawqal in the library of the ʿAllāl al-Fāsī Foundation, in Rabat, sheds light on the manuscript culture of the late 19th century in Morocco, on the dualism of manuscripts and prints of the same text at the same time. Indeed until now, Ibn Ḥawqal’s geographical treatise is known through eight medieval manuscripts that seem to give four versions of the text, although their relations are not clear. However, an unpublished manuscript is kept in Rabat, but it is a recent copy (early 20th century) of Michael De Goeje’s edition of 1873. Surprisingly this copy bears several charateristics of manuscript writing although the copist had a printed text as model.