The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Yaqut al-Hamawi
(yäkt´ äl-hämäw´) (KEY) , 11791229, Arab geographer. Born in Byzantium, he was bought as a slave by a merchant, al-Hamawi. He was freed on the death of his master and traveled extensively in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Persia. His Mujam al-Buldan, a geographical dictionary that includes much biographical, historical, and cultural data, is a primary source in Arabic scholarship.