Kawkab al-rawḍah كوكب الروضة Suyūṭī سيوطي

Content

A compendium of history and description regarding the island of al-Rawḍah in Cairo, in prose and verse, completed in Jumādá II 895/April-May 1490 (see f. 203v, lines 5-6) by Jalāl al-Dīn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Bakr al-Suyūṭī (جلال الدين عبد الرحمن بن أبي بكرالسيوطي, d. 1505).

The present copy was written hurriedly over twenty days by Khalīfah al-Musallamī (خليفة المسلمي), timekeeper ( muwaqqit , موقت) at the mosque of al-Muʾayyad Shaykh in Cairo, and was completed on 16 Muḥarram 1009/28 July 1600 (see f. 203v, lines 7-11 and 17). The scribe includes a note defending himself from accusations of poor work, due to the pressure he was put under to finish the transcription quickly (see f. 203v, lines 17-22).

The text, which is compiled from many sources, mentions the history, interesting buildings, fortifications, bridges, flora and agricultural products of al-Rawḍah. It also covers the Nile River more generally, discussing its sources, floods, and wonders. A schematic map of the river's course is found on f. 39r.

F. 1 is a replacement.

Begins (f. 1v, lines 2-4):

سبحان الله فاتق الأنهار وفالق الأزهار وخالق الليل والنهار ومزين

الخضراء من الشمس بالورد ومن الكواكب بالبهار والحمد لله الذي أنزل

من السماء ماء…

Ends (f. 203r, line 31- f. 203v, line 4):

لقد أسعد الله رأي الذي بنى مسجدًا وصفه قد وجب

لدار النحاس به حلية فدار النحاس كدار الذهب

وهذا آخر ما أردت إيراده في هذا الكتاب وقد قلت فيه

كتابي الكوكب المفدي دقت معاني به عذيرة

ألفاظه المشتهاة تحكي من حسنها روضة وجيزة

Author's colophon Section at the end of a manuscript text. (f. 203v, lines 5-6):

قال مؤلفه فرغت من تأليفه في جمادى الأخرة سنة خمس

وتسعين وثمانمائة أحسن الله ختامها...

Scribe's colophon Section at the end of a manuscript text. (f. 203v, lines 6-23):

...وكان الفراغ من

نسخ هذا الكتاب في يوم الخميس سادس عشر محرم الحرام

افتتاح عام ألف وتسعة أحسن الله عاقبتها إلى

خير على يد أفقر العباد وأحوجهم إلى رحمة

ربه الفقير خليفة المسلمي الموقت

بالجامع المؤيدي عفى الله

عنه وغفر له ولوالديه ولمن

طالع في هذا الكتاب

ودعا له بالمغفرة

آمين

تم

وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم

وكانت كتابته لسرعة صاحبه في عشرين يومًا كوامل مع شغل

البال والاحتياج الزائد ولله الحمد والمنة

على التهوين وكان لذلك سبب أوجبه

أن تلقَ سهوًا فلا تعجل بسبّك لي إني امرؤ لست معصومًا من الزلل

تم الكتاب وبتمامه تم السرور لصاحبه

وعفى الإله له بفضله وبكرمه عن كاتبه

Extent and format

Codex A collection of pages, usually gathered into quires, and bound between covers. ; ff. i+203+i

Physical characteristics

Material: Western laid paper with watermarks

Dimensions: 270 x 180mm leaf [195 x 114mm written]

Foliation: British Museum foliation in pencil

Ruling: Misṭarah ; 31 lines per page; vertical spacing 11 lines per 10 cm

Script: Naskh ; the scribe is Khalīfah al-Musallamī (خليفة المسلمي), timekeeper (muwaqqit, موقت) at the mosque of al-Muʾayyad Shaykh in Cairo (see f. 203v, lines 10-11)

Ink: Black ink, with rubricated headings and overlinings in red

Decoration: Map of the Nile in black and red ink (f. 39r)

Binding: Light brown leather binding with stamped frames and corners

Condition: Some staining to head margin and wormholes in the fore edge margins towards beginning of the volume; pronounced diagonal crease across f. 1 and end flyleaf [ii]

Marginalia: Very few

Seals: British Museum stamp (ff. 1r and 203v)

Written in

Arabic in Arabic script

Type

Manuscript

Access & Reference

Original held at

British Library: Oriental Manuscripts

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

Or 7978

History of this record

Date(s)

16 Muḥarram 1009 (AH, Hijri qamari)

Provenance

• Jawhar tābiʿ ʿUthmān [?] (جوهر تابع عثمان): his inscription with date 7 Ṣafar 1125/5 March 1713 (f. 203v)

Immediate source of acquisition

Purchased from Murad Baroody (Murād al-Bārūdī), 4 April 1914

Related material

Select Bibliography

Editions:

• Suyūṭi, Kawkab al-Rawḍah fī tārīkh al-Nīl wa-jazīrat al-Rawḍah , edited by Muḥammad al-Shishtāwī (al-Qāhirah: Dār al-Āfāq al-ʿArabīyah, 2002)
• Suyūṭi, Kawkab al-Rawḍah fī tārīkh jazīrat Miṣr al-musammāh bi-al-Rawḍah , edited by Muṣṭafá al-Shakʿah and Majdī ʿĀshūr (al-Qāhira: al-Dār al-Miṣrīyah al-Lubnānīyah, 2008)

Subjects

Geography--Early works to 1800

People & organisations

Suyūṭī

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Kawkab al-rawḍah كوكب الروضة Suyūṭī سيوطي, British Library: Oriental Manuscripts, Or 7978, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100110633515.0x000001> [accessed 27 August 2024]

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