Kitāb al- Buldān by Ibn Faqīh-i-Hamadānī: The Geographical School and Method

Among the writing of numerous works in the field of descriptive geography in the third century AH, the kitāb al- Buldān was written by Ibn Faqīh Hamadānī at the end of this century. Ibn Faqīh belonged to the Iraqi school of Islamic geography. He begins his book with a description of Mecca as the center of the world. Paying attention to the geographical writing style of Greek and Iranian geographers, the book based on regions, not using the map, writing of the wonders and the richness of patriotic identity elements are some of his geographical writing features. In terms of geographical typology, the “kitāb al- Buldān” is closer to economic and human geography. Another importance of the book is that it clarifies the complexity of some historical and cultural concepts of Iran. Due to the lack of travelling and observations, Ibn Faqīh relies on the written and audio sources. This research tries to investigate his school and geographical method by a historical method and descriptive-analytical approach.