Economy and Society in Egypt during the First Half of the Sixth Century AH / Twelfth Century AD: A Study Based on Al-Sharif Al-Idrisi’s Nuzhat al-Mushtaq fi Ikhtiraq al-Afaq

Abstract

This study examines the image of Egypt as presented in the work of the renowned geographer al-Sharīf al-Idrīsī, whose writings constitute one of the most important geographical sources offering precise and firsthand observations on the conditions of Islamic lands in the sixth century AH (twelfth century CE). The research focuses in particular on al-Idrīsī’s depiction of the economic and social conditions of Egypt during a critical transitional phase in its history, coinciding with the final decades of the Fatimid period and the early emergence of Ayyubid rule—a period marked by profound political, economic, and social transformations. The significance of this study lies in the fact that al-Idrīsī did not rely solely on earlier written sources, but made extensive use of direct observation and empirical description in portraying Egyptian cities, patterns of urban development, agricultural production, commercial activity, and local industries. As a result, his geographical accounts represent historically valuable evidence that allows for the reconstruction of Egypt’s economic structure and social organization during the sixth century AH, as well as an understanding of everyday life and regional disparities within the country. The study aims to analyze al-Idrīsī’s data on agriculture, internal and external trade, crafts and industries, urban organization, and social relations, situating these observations within the broader framework of Egypt’s economic and social life at the time. It also seeks to assess the accuracy of his descriptions through comparison with contemporary and near contemporary historical and geographical sources. Methodologically, the research adopts a critical, analytical, and comparative approach, based on a close reading of the sections of Nuzhat almushtāq fī ikhtirāq alāfāq related to Egypt and their evaluation in light of corroborating historical evidence. The study concludes that al-Idrīsī offered a scientifically rigorous portrayal of Egypt that integrates geographical analysis with economic and social perspectives, rendering his work a source of dual value—geographical in method and historical in content—and a clear testament to the maturity of Islamic geographical thought in the sixth century AH.