The Image of the Earth • Author: Ibn Hawqal

Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Hawqal, or Muhammad ibn Ali al-Nasibi or al-Nasibini (d. 367 AH/977 CE), was born in Nisibis in the northeast of the Jazira region within today's Turkish borders. He was a writer, geographer, historian, traveler, and a Muslim merchant from the 10th century CE. One of his most famous works is "The Image of the Earth" in 977.

The limited information available about Ibn Hawqal is extracted from his book, which was a revision and development of the work "Routes and Realms" by al-Istakhri (521), which itself was a revision of the book "Pictures of the Regions" by Ahmad ibn Sahl al-Balkhi (921). Ibn Hawqal was more than an editor; he was a traveler who spent much time writing about the regions and things he saw. He spent the last 30 years of his life traveling to remote areas in Asia and Africa.