ibn al-Qalanisi

Who was ibn al-Qalanisi?

Hamza ibn Asad abu Ya'la ibn al-Qalanisi was an Arab politician and chronicler in Damascus in the 12th century.

He descended from the Banu Tamim tribe, and was among the well-educated nobility of the city of Damascus. He studied literature, theology, and law, and served as firstly a secretary in, and later the head of, the chancery of Damascus. He served twice as ra'is of the city, an office equivalent to mayor.

His chronicle, the Dhail or Mudhayyal Ta'rikh Dimashq was an extension of the chronicle of Hilal bin al-Muhassin al-Sabi', covering the years 1056 to al-Qalanisi's death in 1160. This Chronicle is one of the few contemporary accounts of the First Crusade and its immediate aftermath from the Muslim perspective, making it not only a valuable source for modern historians, but also for later 12th-century chronicles, including Ibn al-Athir.