{{distinguish|Ibn Kathir}}
{{Redirect|Abulfeda|the lunar crater|Abulfeda (crater)}}
{{Infobox_Philosopher |
<!-- Scroll down to edit this page -->
<!-- Philosopher Category -->
region = Damascus scholar|
era = Medieval era|
color = #B0C4DE |

<!-- Image and Caption -->

image_name = |
image_caption = |

<!-- Information -->
name = '''Abu Al-fida' Isma'il Ibn 'ali''' |
birth = |
death = {{AH|732|1331|+}}|
school_tradition = |
main_interests = |

influences = [[Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi`i]] |
influenced = - |
notable_ideas = |
}}
'''Abu al-Fida''' ({{lang-ar|أبو الفدا}}) or '''Abul Fida Ismail Hamvi''' (fully '''Abu Al-fida' Isma'il Ibn 'ali ibn Mahmud Al-malik Al-mu'ayyad 'imad Ad-din''', (also [[transliterated]] '''Abulfeda''', '''Abu Alfida''', and other ways) (November [[1273]] &ndash; [[October 27]], [[1331]]) was an [[Arab]] [[historian]], [[geographer]], and local [[sultan]]. [[Abulfeda (crater)|Abulfeda crater]], on the [[Moon]], is named after him.

==Life==

Abulfeda was born at [[Damascus]], where his father [[Malik ul-Afdal]], brother of the prince of [[Hamah]], had fled from the [[Mongols]]. He was a descendant of [[Najm ad-Din Ayyub|Ayyub]], the father of [[Saladin]].

In his boyhood he devoted himself to the study of the ''[[Qur'an]]'' and the sciences, but from his twelfth year was almost constantly engaged in military expeditions, chiefly against the [[Crusades|crusaders]].

In [[1285]] he was present at the assault of a stronghold of the [[Knights of St. John]], and took part in the sieges of [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]], [[Akko|Acre]] and [[Qal'at ar-Rum]]. In [[1298]] he entered the service of the [[Mamluk]] [[Sultan]] [[Malik al-Nasir]] and after twelve years was invested by him with the governorship of [[Hamah]]. In [[1312]] he became prince with the title '''Malik us-Salhn''', and in [[1320]] received the hereditary rank of ''sultan'' with the title '''Malik ul-Mu'ayyad'''.

For more than twenty years all together he reigned in tranquillity and splendour, devoting himself to the duties of government and to the composition of the works to which he is chiefly indebted for his fame. He was a munificent patron of men of letters, who came in large numbers to his court. He died in [[1331]].

==Works==
*[[The Concise History of Humanity or Chronicles (book)|The Concise History of Humanity or Chronicles]] (Arabic: ''Tarikhu 'l-mukhtasar fi Akhbari 'l-bashar'') - [[Tarikh Abul Fida]], His chief historical work is ''An Abridgment of the History at the Human Race,'' in the form of [[annals]] extending from the creation of the world to the year [[1329]] ([[Constantinople]], 2 vols. [[1869]]). His ''Geography'' is, like much of the history, founded on the works of his predecessors, and so ultimately on the work of [[Ptolemy]]. A long introduction on various geographical matters is followed by twenty-eight sections dealing in tabular form with the chief towns of the world. After each name are given the longitude, latitude, climate, spelling, and then observations generally taken from earlier authors. Parts of the work were published and translated as early as [[1650]] in [[Europe]].
*[[A Sketch of the countries (book)|A Sketch of the countries]] (Arabic: ''Taqwim al-Buldan'')
*A book about medicine named ''Kunash''

==External links==
*http://www.salaam.co.uk/knowledge/biography/viewentry.php?id=153
*http://www.renaissance.com.pk/myletfor95.html
*http://muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?TaxonomyTypeID=25&TaxonomySubTypeID=-1&TaxonomyThirdLevelID=-1&ArticleID=505

==References==
*{{1911}}

[[Category:1273 births]]
[[Category:1331 deaths]]
[[Category:Arab historians]]
[[Category:Arab geographers]]
[[Category:Medieval writers]]

[[ar:أبو الفداء]]
[[de:Abu l-Fida]]
[[fr:Aboul Féda]]
[[it:Abulfeda (storico arabo)]]
[[pl:Abu al-Fida]]
[[pt:Abul Fida]]
[[ro:Abu al-Fida]]
[[ru:Абу-ль-Фида]]
[[sl:Abulfeda]]
[[zh:阿布·菲達]]