alMasalik

alMasalik is a term in Arabic meaning “the routes” or “the ways,” used in historical geography to denote works that describe roads, paths, and the networks linking various lands. In this context, alMasalik most commonly refers to a classical geography text associated with the Islamic scholarly tradition, where the title signals the focus on routes and realms rather than a single place.

The best-known work bearing this title is Kitab al-Masalik wa-l-Mamālik (Book of Routes and Kingdoms), attributed to the geographer Ibn Khordadbeh (circa 820–c. 912). The text presents an organized survey of major travel and trade routes within the Islamic world and to adjacent regions. It combines descriptions of cities, peoples, products, currencies, and political boundaries, drawing on merchant reports, travelers’ accounts, and earlier geographic tradition.

Scope and influence: The Kitab al-Masalik wa-l-Mamālik covers routes across a broad expanse, from the eastern Islamic realms in Khurasan and Central Asia to North Africa and as far west as the Mediterranean, as well as connections to the Indian Ocean and beyond. It serves as a valuable historical source for understanding early medieval trade networks, urban centers, and intercultural contact. The work influenced later geographic writers in the Islamic world, such as Ibn Hawqal and Al-Bakri, and contributed to the development of medieval cartography and regional geography.

Manuscripts and scholarly reception: Surviving Arabic manuscripts and subsequent translations into Latin, French, and English have made the Kitab al-Masalik wa-l-Mamālik a foundational reference in the study of early Islamic geography and the history of cartography.