al-Maqrizi

Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni al-Ubaydi al-Maqrizi (766–845 AH) was one of the greatest Islamic historians of the medieval period and the foremost historian of Mamluk Egypt. He served in various administrative positions before devoting himself entirely to scholarship. His major work al-Mawa'iz wa-al-I'tibar fi Dhikr al-Khitat wa-al-Athar (known as al-Khitat) is an encyclopedic topographical and historical survey of Egypt, covering its geography, monuments, buildings, religious sites, and history. He also wrote Itti'az al-Hunafa' (history of the Fatimid caliphate) and al-Suluk (a Mamluk history). He is an indispensable source for the history of medieval Egypt.