ابن القلانسي ( ت:555ه)‎ وكتابه (المذيل لتاريخ دمشق)‎

Abstract EN

Ibn al-Qalanisi's book entitled "Dhail Tarikh Dimashq" is one of the most important early historical sources about the Crusades, because the author was contemporary to the events of the Crusades for nearly 56 years.

It is the only book of Ibn al-Qalanisi.

This article dealt with two main topics, the first one is the biography of Ibn al-Qalanisi and his social status.

The second is about the book, the aim of its composition, its method, and the main views about the book and the author.

The main conclusions of this article are : 1.

Ibn al-Qalanisi's reputation as a historian didn't extend beyond the city of Damascus, and the later historians quoted from his work fill the gaps relating to the history of Damascus during the period of Ibn al- Qalanisi's life.

Some historians considered his work as a Supplement to "Tarikh Dimashq al-Kabeer" of al-Hafiz Ibn Asakir, whose fame was much more than of Ibn al-Qalanisi.

2.

The name of the book is "al-Mudhail Li-Tarikh Dimashq" and not " Dhail Tarikh Dimashq" because the book supplemented an earlier history, i.e.

the History of Thabit bin Sinan bin Qurra al-Sabi (d.363A.H), who wrote about the period (295-363 A.H) 3.

The book had been Known a supplement to the history of Hilal bin al- Muhsin al-Sabi, while this as research concluded that Ibn al-Qalanisi wrote about a period before the death of Hilal al-Sabi, so that Ibn al- Qalanisi's book is a supplement of the History of Thabit bin Sinan as mentioned above.