Ibn al-Qalanisi

Hamza, whose kunya was Abū Yaʿlà and nisba was al-Qalānisī 'the Hatter', descended from the Banu Tamim, and was among the well-educated nobility of the city of Damascus. He studied literature, theology, and fiqh and served firstly as a secretary in, and later the head of, the Chancery of Damascus. He served twice as raʾīs of the city, an office equivalent to mayor. =="Chronicle of Damascus"==

His chronicle, the Dhail Taʼrīkh Dimashq or Mudhayyal Taʼrīkh Dimashq 'Continuation of the Chronicle of Damascus' was an extension of the chronicle of Hilal 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. The entire material of his chronicle covers the time span of two generations, his father's and his own, al-Qalanisi having experienced the First Crusade at a mature age, although apparently not as a fighter. ==References==