Work / monument · text

Kitab al-I'tibar

c. 1183 · 12th century · Also known as Book of Contemplation, Memoirs of Usama ibn Munqidh

The Kitab al-I'tibar, or Book of Contemplation, is the memoir of the Syrian Arab nobleman Usama ibn Munqidh, written in his old age around 1183. Its anecdotes of hunting, warfare, medicine and daily life, including vivid descriptions of the customs of the Frankish crusaders, make it one of the most valuable Muslim sources on the period of the Crusades.

Mentioned in 1 state history

Munqidhite Emirate of Shaizar

See also

Cite this entry

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kitab al-I'tibar. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kitab-al-itibar
MLA: “Kitab al-I'tibar.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kitab-al-itibar. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Kitab al-I'tibar.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kitab-al-itibar.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kitab al-I'tibar’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kitab-al-itibar (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻