Taken from : L'Afrique Dans Le Uns Al-Muhag Wa-Rawd Al-Furag D'Al-Idrisi Edition, traduction et commentaire, Leuven, By Jean-Charles Ducène

 

The scientists agree that the length of the inhabited part of the world is 77deg of which 11deg to the south of the equator. One reaches this way the mountain of Al Qamar where the sources of the Nile are situated that runs in Egypt and ends up in the Mediterranean.

 

The first clime is up to 14deg to the north of the equator. This makes 933 miles and a third. Its length from west to east is 180deg. In it are found the countries of Zagawa (1), Ghana, Kuga (2), that of the Zang, Sufala and most of the islands of the Indians. All these lands belong to the countries of the blacks. This climate has two winters and two summers. The longest day has 12 and a half hour. The shadows can be to the north or to the south. The sun is visible from the bottom of a waterhole. Dangerous animals like the elephant, rhino, giraffe are living in these regions, as well as wild human beings. The major part of the land consists of moving sand dunes.

 

The imagination has placed the Nile and its sources in the mountain of Al Qamar. Its place is found in the 4^th section.

 

(5^th and 6^th section of first clime)

These two sections are inhabited and deserts. In the 5^th section one can find the mountain al-Qamar. Its view is the image of the representation given here, it stretches in length to the East up to touching Abyssinia. It is an enormous mountain. In winter, at the Indians and the Zang, the eastern wind heads 6 months of the year and the clouds are filled with moister around that mountain. The rivers that feed the Nile of the Nubians and the Nile of Egypt run at that place. The Nile comes out of the mountain of Al Qamar in 10 sources, 5 unite in a small lake the 5 other ones in a different lake. These two lakes give birth to two streams running towards the south where they feed a big lake situated on the equator or touching it. To the west is the mountain of al-M.Q.S.M (16), from where the Nile runs towards the country of the Blacks. It is said that the waters of the Nile pass under this mountain and return to the surface to meet the countries of the Kuga (2), Ghana, Silla (3) and Takrur (4) to end up in the sea of Darkness (17). Allah knows best.

Ptolemy and others do not agree with this and state that the river of the Blacks comes out of the mountain Tala. Its two sections unite somewhere in Abyssinia. It is about the (towns) of Qalgun (5) and Bata (6), they are separated by 7 days. This country is followed by the country of Barbara of the Blacks. Their places are found at the coast. They are: Qarfuwa (7), Marka (8), al-Nuga (9), Baduna (10) and the villages of the Hawiya (11). Between Q.ruqu and Merka, there are 6 stages by land and 2 days by sea. From Marka (8) to al-Nuga (9) by sea is one and a half day, and by the land 4 days. From al-Nuga to Baduna (10) is 8 days. This is the limit between Barbara and Zang.

(9^th and 10^th section)

These two sections finish the division. One finds here a part of the country of the Zang, which is to the east and the total of Sufala. This is the end of the lands in the East. The territories are going towards China on the other side.

Clime1 section 4

…. In the south of this section, there is a great lake where the rivers arrive coming from the two lakes in which the water of the mountain al-Qamar gathers, there are in reality 10 sources. The river Adsiyas is among them, it is a big river that feeds the Nile. The source are on the equator, he joins the Nile at the town of Bilaq (12), as we have presented on the map. Let Allah help us.

Clime1 section 5

(Abyssinia)

Clime1 section 6

Map of the sixth section of the first Clime.

This sixth section of the first clime contains the land of Barbara, these people are situated under Abyssinia. From Gawa to Q.runuwa on the coast in two days (13), from there to Barma (14) three days by sea. From Barma (14) by sea up to the town of Merka which is at the coast, is three days of navigating but six days by land. From Merka up to al-Nuga (9) by sea, will take one and a half day and by land four days. From al-Nuga (9) one needs 8 days to reach Qarnuwa (15). All these towns are small and have no walls and are part of the land of Barbara. To Barbara belongs also the villages of the Hawiya (11), there are about 50 villages situated on the river Hawiya (11). The people take their drinking water from it, and plant and harvest because of it. From Socotra to Adan, one counts 3 or 4 days navigating. From Adan to Sana is 68 parasanges (18) and from Aden to Zabid 44…….

(1) Zagawa: also called Beri or Zakhawa, are a Sahelian Muslim ethnic group primarily residing in Fezzan North-eastern Chad, and western Sudan, including Darfur.

(2) Kuga: town on the Niger river.

(3) Silla: in Senegal. Already mentioned by al Bakri in 1068.

(4) Takrur: at the border between Senegal and Mauretania. Already mentioned by al Bakri in 1068.

(5) Qalgun; Qalgur in Ethiopia.

(6) Bata: according to Ibn Said (1250): Bata at 64 degrees 30min longitude, the first place on the Indian Ocean, marking the boundary between Bilad al-Habasha and Bilad al Barbara, and situated just behind Khatt  al- Istiwa (equator). (Ibn Said says a little bit further on that Bata is situated 2 degrees from the khatt) (some authors say Bata = Pate )

(7) Qarfuwa; the Carfouna or Karmua from Idrisi (1150); Ibn Said (1250): Serfouna or Carfouna (or Qarquna/Farfuna). Here: Guardafui and Ras Hafun together. But with Idrisi (1150) they are two different places: Carfouna and Khakoui.

(8) Marka: Present-day Merca is a harbour on the coast of south Somalia. There is indeed a river the Shabelle. Here placed way to far north; identification unsure.

(9) al-Nuga: the el-Nedja of Idrisi (1150) The Bedje of Abulfida 1331 (according to Marcel Devic p66.) Yakut 1220: Nujah (or Nudschah).

(10) Baduna: Brawa or Barawa or Brava on the south Somali coast; The Bedouna of Idrisi (1150).

(11) Hawiya: In south Somalia mentioned by Ibn Said (1250); Ahmad ibn Al Harrani (1300); Al Idris Ouns al Moubhadj (1192); Idrisi (1150) has El Hadye; Abulfida (1331) Haouiya; Dimashqi (1325) Hawiah; Al Wardi (1456) Haouina.

The reference in Al-Idrisi (1150) to the Hadiye and in Ibn Sa’id (1250) to the Hawiye, on both occasions associated with the Benadir port of Merca, where the Hawiya live today, suggests that they have been in this area for at least 700 years. The references slightly later in the Futuh al-Habasha to Somali groups in north-western Somaliland indicates that the population in this area has also remained substantially unchanged since the sixteenth century, when the work was written. The Galla another group from the Horn has been living there at least since the 15^th century as Fra Mauro (1459) mentions a Galla River in Ethiopia.

(12) Bilaq; the Bilac of Idrisi (1150)

(13) From Gawa to Q.runuwa on the coast in two days; Idrisi (1150) has: Carfouna from Djonah by sea in two days.

(14) Barma or Berma: Idris (1150) has Terma; Termeh: Ras Terma is also known as Ras Beilul, Ras Darma, Eritrea. Here there is confusion as it is situated towards the Red Sea from Carfouna while all other places that are mentioned after are further south the African coast. See Charles Guillain p 192. Ibn Said (1250) and Abulfida (1331) writes Berma or Barma (Charles Guillain p 238) (Marcel Devic p 57)

(15) From al-Nuga one needs 8 days to reach Qarnuwa; Idrisi (1150) has: From El-Nedja to Carfouna takes eight days.

(16) Jabal Makhasam: The mountain Muqasam El-Moquecem; Muqassim: literally symmetrically divided ; also found in Ibn Al Wardi (1348); Hafiz I Abru (1420); Ibn Said al Maghribi (1250); Al Idris ; Ouns al Moubhadj (1192).

(17) sea of Darkness = Bahr az-Zulmat; other names: al-Bahr al-Muhit (the Circumambient Ocean) or al-Bahr al-Akhdar (the Green Sea). Sometimes only the Atlantic Ocean in meant.

(18) Parasanges: 1 parasangs or farsakhs = 2.8 nautical miles/ about 5km.