Note that from p10 on we have only descriptions of the coasts of all seas.

P6

The author of the book says that the limits of Saqlab (Slavic people) and everything related to it; Azores, Syria, Alan (1), and Armenia all are included as part of the Roman state, and Sandu (2), Kashmir and Behri from Tibet are included in the Indian state, and the land of blacks in the Maghreb, Zanzibar, and Bejah, and the boundaries of this group have not been mentioned in this book because of the consistency that a kingdom belongs to reason, art, religion, knowledge, mansions, and politics, and the people of those places did not benefit from this.

But those placed in Tibet should be given a share of the world and a region named after them. And although there is austerity and religion among them, such as the Nubians and the Abyssinians, and the reason for that is that they are close to others, like the Nubians and the Abyssinians, who are on the shores of the Qulzam Sea (Red Sea).

P9

And from Egypt to the end of the Maghrib, it will be one hundred and eighty stages (3). And from the end of the earth in the east to the end of the earth in the west is about four hundred stages. And from the northernmost limit to the southernmost limit, from the shores of the surrounding sea, a gate should be taken until the land of Gog and Magog (4) and what appears to be Saqlab (Slavic people) and goes out into the land of Bulghar and [from] Saqlab and through the interior of the Bulghar, and it would reach Syria at a distance of six stages from Rome, and it would be thirty stages from the land of Syria to the land of Egypt, and from there it would go to the land of the Nubians and Zanzibar.

The temperature of the environment follows this line between south and north. And it is known that the distance of this line from the direction of Yajuj Tabulgar (Gog and Magog) and the land Saqlab is forty stages, from the land of Saqlab (Slavic people) to Rome and to about Sham (Syria), they are sixty stages, and from Rome to the end of the Nubian land, they say eighty stages until they reach the Nubians, but in between Gog and Magog and the surrounding sea on the north side and in the middle of the Sihan (5) desert and other parts of the border of the surrounding sea is wilderness and they have not mentioned any habitation.

P10

From the Caspian, it reaches the land of Dillman (6), Tabarstan (6), and Gorgan (6), and returns to the border of the Black Mountain in the desert, and returns to the place where it has left, so that nothing stands in the way except the river that falls into the sea. But the sea of Khwarezm (7) also.

Between the cities of Zanzibar (?) and on the other side of the Roman land there are gulfs and which seas have not been mentioned because they are many and small. And it rises from the sea around the Gulf until it seems to reach the Sea of Saqlab and passes over the land of Rome over Constantinople until it falls into the Roman Sea.

P13

And as for the land of Abyssinia, it should be towards the Qulzam Sea (8), and its limit is the Persian Sea. And one end is in Zanzibar, and the other end is in the desert between the Nubians and the Qulzam Sea. And Habesh and Nubia are on both sides of Bejeh (9) and then the desert. We said that it cannot be passed. The country cannot join. But Zanzibar is the longest land of Sudan and there is nothing else but the land of Abyssinia, and other borders are on the other side of Yemen and on the side of Fars (10) and Kerman (11) as far as India. And the land of India should be equal to the land of Kerman and up to the land ……….

P31+32

(the sea) ... to the deserts of the borders of Egypt, and the road leads to the deserts of Bajeh (9), and the gold mine is there until it reaches a city on the banks of the Nile, which is called ``Iyazab'', then it goes to Abyssinia, near Mecca and Medina, until it reaches Aden, then when it leaves Abyssinia it goes to Nubian land until it reaches the Zangian earth from there, and that is. Then the sea will pass from there in front of the Islamic country. And the end of this sea is there. Then, on the width of the sea, there are islands and climates of various kinds up to the level of the land of China.

P33+34

And when it reaches the heart of Yemen, they call it the Sea of Aden until it passes through Aden, then they call it the Sea of Zang and Zanzibar - until it reaches Oman and comes to Persia, and here the sea is wide and long. They say that when the width of the sea from here to Zanzibar will be seven hundred farsangs (12) and the water of this sea will be black and dark. Nothing can be seen in that water. And let there be a pearl mine near Aden, rise from there and come to Aden. From Oman, when will this cross the limits of Islam? The sea and it reaches Serandib (13) is the sea of Pars (10), and it is wide and wide. And in this sea, there are many slopes and difficult returns. And the most difficult thing is that it is near Janabah (14) and Basra, and that place is called Horjana.

P38

And there is a place on the shore of the sea called Zeilah (15), it is their base when they cross to Yemen and Hijaz (16). Then it joins the Nubian desert, and the Nubians are Christians. And this province is wider than Abyssinia and has more habitations. The Nile of Egypt will pass through them and from there it will reach Zanzibar, and further than that it will not be possible to go, then this sea will reach the land of Zanzibar near Aden. Then it will cross the limits of a Muslims and become within their limits. Wa-zangbar is a dry province. Few habitations, and little agriculture. And some people have informed me that there are white people in some provinces of Zanzibar, and that these Zangian people will get help and goods from other places, so that there will not be a place where there will be too much wealth from there. And the people of Zanzibar do not have too much art and knowledge, and all the people are the same, but they are strong and strong, and God knows best.

P41

And no one has known the source of the Nile River. According to it, it comes out of a cave. It comes from the vicinity of Zanzibar, from a place where there is less traffic, and it is not possible to get there, and from there it goes through the habitations and deserts of the Nubians until reach Egypt.

 

(1) Alan: The Alans were a medieval Iranic nomadic pastoral people of the North Caucasus.

(2) Sandu: Jads clan in Punjab (N India).

(3) stages: day trips.

(4) Gog and Magog: country in the high North of the globe. And behind the wall built by Alexander the Great.

(5) Sihan desert: several places have that name: the desert between Saudi Arabia and Jordan; the Sihan mountain range which is the most isolated spot in Pakistan etc.

(6) Tabaristan: was the name applied to a mountainous region located in the Caspian coast of northern Iran. Tabaristan with Dillman (=Dilum) in the west, Gorgan in the east.

(7) Khwarezm; Khwarizm: a large oasis region on the Amu Darya river delta in western Central Asia.

(8) al-Qulzam: located at the head of the Gulf of Suez.

(9) Bedjah, Bedjneh, Beeljah : Beja people from Sudan. The Egyptians leaving from Aswan; the southern border town on the Nile; have to cross their territory to reach the harbours on the Red Sea.

(10) Fars: region in Iran.

(11) Kerman: known in ancient times as the satrapy of Carmania, is the capital city of Kerman Province, Iran.

(12) Farsang; Parasang: 1 parasangs or farsakhs = 2.8 nautical miles/ about 5km.

(13) Serandib: Sri Lanca.

(14) Janaba: on the Persian coast in the Gulf.

(15) Zeila: town in Somalia close to the border with Djibouti.

(16) Hijaz: the province of Mecca.