Abū al-Qāsim al-‘Irāqī, Kitāb al-aqālīm al-ab‘ah (Book of the Seven Climes)

Abū al-Qāsim al-‘Irāqī wrote books on alchemy and magic in the 1200s. His Book of the Seven Climes is the earliest study to focus solely on alchemical illustration. According to al-‘Irāqī, this image depicts a complex alchemical process. In reality, the illustration has no alchemical meaning. Unknown to al-‘Irāqī, it actually reproduces an ancient monument erected in memory of King Amenemhat II, who ruled Egypt nearly 4000 years ago. Shown here: ff. 51r–50v