Al-Jahiz and the Book of Animals, artistic impression

Artistic impression of Al-Jahiz and his 'Kitab al-Hayawan' or 'Book of Animals'.

Al-Jahiz's 'Book of Animals' is an encyclopaedic work about animals that is probably the first book to be written in the Arabic language about the topic. It falls in seven volumes and is full of details about animals, their habitat and their behaviour; coupled with anecdotes, poetic descriptions and proverbs related to animals.