The desert between Khurasan and Fārs

Al-Masaalik Wa Al-Mamaalik.

The desert between Khurasan and Fārs, with the Karkas mountains at the bottom center. Isfahan is located in the right corner at the bottom (in a red double circle).

Al-Masaalik Wa Al-Mamaalik, written in Arabic by Mohammad Farsi Istakhri, presents an accurate description of the socio-economic, cultural, and political conditions of Islamic lands – from India to Africa – supplemented by maps. Istakhri describes the countries he travelled to, including Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Zanzibar, and documents information that was not widely known at the time. It’s one of the most important geographical books from the 10th century CE. Numerous manuscripts exist in several of the world’s libraries and museums and it has been translated into many different languages.