Regional Geography in the Book of Paths and Kingdoms by Al-Istakhri "An Analytical Vision"

Abstract

      The concept of the region is one of the topics that occupied large space in geographical thought . The early Muslims contributed to laying the basic building block for regional geography through the great geographical heritage they left behind that deserves study and scrutiny. Therefore , they were the first to establish the status of regional geography.Muslim scholars and adventurous travelers contributed by adding many ideas, concepts, and geographical information that were not known. Therefore, the study came to focus on the contributions of  Muslims in the field of regional geography. Hence, the aim of the study came to shed light on one of the pioneers of the concept of the region and the regional one is Al-Istakhri, who had a prominent role in establishing the concept of the region. The importance of the study appears in focusing on the role of the early Muslims in development of regional geography. Al-Istakhri was taken as a model for this role because of his valuable works that added a lot to the science of geography and to the structure of the study. The existence of great efforts by Al-Istakhri was evident from his geographical ideas that appeared in the field of regional geography and maps, which in the Middle Ages represented the basis on which Islamic civilization was built.