DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6552#0376
appendix.
337
ZAMAKSHARI.
(died 538 a.ii.)
His book, entitledJ>jj£\ "The Spring of the Righteous,"
contains the same account as that given by Balkhi.
ABD ALLATIF.
(born 557 a .ii.)
Extracts from a " Description of the Ancient Monuments of
Egypt," by Abd Allatif, an Arabian physician of Bagdad, born in
557; translated by M. Silvester de Sacy, 1810.
" Of all the countries, that I ever visited myself, or ever
acquired any knowledge of from the researches of others, there
are none that can compare with Egypt, in regard to the immense
number of antient monuments, that it contains. Among the
wonders of that country are the Pyramids, which have attracted
the attention of many authors, whose works are filled with de-
scriptions and dimensions of these buildings. There are many
of them ; and they are all situated upon the same side of the river as
Gizeh, upon the same line with the antient capital of Egypt, and
at the distance of about two days'journey from it. There are also
others at Bousir. They vary much in size. Some are constructed
with earth and bricks, but the greater number of them are built
of stone, in a form exactly pyramidal, and with a smooth and
even surface ; others are constructed in steps or degrees. There
were formerly at Gizeh a considerable number of small pyramids,
which were destroyed, in the time of Salah-eddin Youssef (the son
of Ayyoub), by Karakousch, an emir in that prince's army. He
had the superintendence of all the buildings in the capital, and
constructed the stone wall, which surrounds Fostat, Cairo, and
all the ground between those two places, and the citadel upon
the Mokattam. He also built the citadel itself, and the two
wells, which exist to this day, and are considered among the
wonders of Egypt; a staircase of nearly three hundred steps
leads to the bottom of them. Karakousch built the arches, that
are still to be seen at Gizeh, with the stones of the small pyra-
vol. ir. z
337
ZAMAKSHARI.
(died 538 a.ii.)
His book, entitledJ>jj£\ "The Spring of the Righteous,"
contains the same account as that given by Balkhi.
ABD ALLATIF.
(born 557 a .ii.)
Extracts from a " Description of the Ancient Monuments of
Egypt," by Abd Allatif, an Arabian physician of Bagdad, born in
557; translated by M. Silvester de Sacy, 1810.
" Of all the countries, that I ever visited myself, or ever
acquired any knowledge of from the researches of others, there
are none that can compare with Egypt, in regard to the immense
number of antient monuments, that it contains. Among the
wonders of that country are the Pyramids, which have attracted
the attention of many authors, whose works are filled with de-
scriptions and dimensions of these buildings. There are many
of them ; and they are all situated upon the same side of the river as
Gizeh, upon the same line with the antient capital of Egypt, and
at the distance of about two days'journey from it. There are also
others at Bousir. They vary much in size. Some are constructed
with earth and bricks, but the greater number of them are built
of stone, in a form exactly pyramidal, and with a smooth and
even surface ; others are constructed in steps or degrees. There
were formerly at Gizeh a considerable number of small pyramids,
which were destroyed, in the time of Salah-eddin Youssef (the son
of Ayyoub), by Karakousch, an emir in that prince's army. He
had the superintendence of all the buildings in the capital, and
constructed the stone wall, which surrounds Fostat, Cairo, and
all the ground between those two places, and the citadel upon
the Mokattam. He also built the citadel itself, and the two
wells, which exist to this day, and are considered among the
wonders of Egypt; a staircase of nearly three hundred steps
leads to the bottom of them. Karakousch built the arches, that
are still to be seen at Gizeh, with the stones of the small pyra-
vol. ir. z