Early, non-illustrated copies '' written by al-Hariri himself, for the copyist in 1111 CE. Several early non-illustrated editions of the
Maqāmāt al-Ḥarīrī are known, starting from the lifetime of al-Ḥarīrī himself (1054–1122), when he was about 56 years old. The earliest known manuscript is Cairo,
National Library of Egypt, MS Adab 105, dated 504/1110–11 through an
ijaza certificate of authenticity by al-Ḥarīrī himself. It is by far the earliest the earliest known manuscript, and it was copied the same year al-Ḥarīrī completed his work. Other early manuscripts are known, such as London, British Library, Or. 2790 (557 AH/1161–62 CE); Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Sbath 265 (583 AH/1187 CE); Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Arabe 3924 (584 AH/1188 CE); Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Arabe 3926 (611 AH/1214 CE); and Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Arabe 3927 (611 AH/1214 CE). After this initial non-illustrative phase, illustrated
Maqamat manuscripts started to appear, corresponding to a broader "explosion of figural art" in the Islamic world, from the 12th to 13th centuries, despite religious condemnations against the depiction of living creatures "because it implies a likeness to the creative activity of God".
Pictorial tradition The origins of the pictorial tradition of Arabic illustrated manuscripts are uncertain. The first known decorated manuscripts are some
Qur'ans from the 9th century CE. They were not illustrated, but were "illuminated" with decorations of the frontispieces or headings. The tradition of illustrated manuscripts started with the
Graeco-Arabic translation movement and the creation of scientific and technical treatises often based on Greek scientific knowledge, such as the Arabic versions of
The Book of Fixed Stars (965 CE),
De materia medica or
Book of the Ten Treatises of the Eye. The translators were most often Arab
Syriac Christians, such as
Hunayn ibn Ishaq or
Yahya ibn Adi, and their work is known to have been sponsored by local rulers, such as the
Artuqids. An exposition of artistic artistry towards the illustration of manuscripts occurred in the 12th and 13th century. Throughout the 13th century in the area of Syria and Iraq, there is a lot in common stylistically between the Christian
Syriac illustrated manuscripts, such as
Syriac Gospels (British Library, Add. 7170), and Arab illustrated manuscripts such as the
Maqamat al-Hariri.
Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Arabe 3929 (1200-1210) Arabe 3929 was probably produced in Amid, modern-day
Diyarbakır, Turkey, ca. 1200-1210. This manuscript probably belongs to the "
Artuqid school" of painting, together with an early 1206 edition of the
Automata of
Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari, devoted to the depiction of mechanical devices (
Ahmet III 3472,
Topkapı Sarayı Library, securely dated to 1206 and displaying many design similarities). This illustrated manuscript is considered the most ancient illustrated
Maqāmāt known. The illustrations are rather simple and literal, which leads most specialists to attribute it to the early 13th or even late 12th century. The first pages are lost: the manuscript starts from the second story (second
Maqamah). File:Arabe 3929, 7v.jpg|Maqama 06: Abu Zayd gratified by the Governor of
Maraghah. Arabe 3929, 7v File:Arabe 3929, 117r.jpg|Maqama 30: Marriage procession. Arabe 3929, 117r File:Maqamat Arabe 3929, Abu Zaid before the Cadi (detail) 157r.jpg|Maqama 43: the
Sheikh of
Diyar Bakr in Turkic dress, wearing the
sharbūsh with tall cap. Maqamat 43, Arabe 3929, 157r. File:Arabe 3929, 151, Jariya.jpg|Maqama 18: the beautiful slave maiden of Abu Zaid, a "
jāriya". File:Maqama 06 the Governor of Maraghah.jpg|Maqama 06: the Governor of
Maraghah in Iran File:Maqama 38 Abu Zayd before the Governor of Merv (Governor detail).jpg|Maqama 38: the Governor of
Merv,
Iran File:Maqama 37 Abu Zaif before the Qadi of Saa'da, Yemen (Qadi detail).jpg|Maqama 37: the
Qadi of
Sa'dah in
Yemen File:Maqama 09 Abu Zayd and his wife before the Kadi of Alexandria, Egypt (Kadi detail).jpg|Maqama 09: the
Qadi of
Alexandria in
Egypt Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Arabe 6094 (1222) Arabe 6094 was made in the
Jazira region, and is the earliest securely dated illustrated
Maqāmāt by al-Hariri. The style and numerous Byzantine inspirations in the illustrations suggest it might have been drawn in the area of Damascus in Syria, under the rule of the
Ayyubids. The date appears in several places (on the hull of the boat in folio 68, or a plate held by a schoolboy in folio 167, in the format "made in the year 619" (i.e. 1222 CE). File:Maqamat 1222 6r.jpg|Mqama 01: Abu Zayd and listeners in
San'a. Folio 6r File:Maqamat 1222 31r.jpg|Maqama 10: Abu Zayd and his son before the governor of
Rabba. 1222, folio 31r File:Maqamat 6094, folio 133v (ruler).jpg|Maqama 38: the Governor of
Merv, wearing the Turkic
sharbūsh. Folio 167r
Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Arabe 5847 (1237) Arabe 5847, also known as the
Schefer Ḥarīrī, is a copy created by
Yahya ibn Mahmūd al-Wāsitī and is probably the most applauded copy of the
Maqāmāt. According to its
colophon, the manuscript was copied in the year 634 AH (1237 CE). It may have been created in
Baghdad, based on some stylistic parallels with the
Kitab al-baytarah, which securely emanated from this city, and the fact that the name of the Abbasid Caliph
al-Mustansir appears in one of the paintings (
15th maqama, fol. 164v); but this attribution remains quite conjectural. The
Bibliothèque Nationale de France, holder of the manuscript, simply presents it as "Mesopotamian". The twin frontispieces show one individual in Arab dress, who may be the author himself, and a majestic ruler in
Seljuk-type Turkic military dress (long braids, fur hat, boots, fitting coat), who may be the potentate the manuscript was dedicated to. The book is written in red and black ink, and supplemented by 99 miniatures. These miniatures depict a wide variety of scenes from the
Maqāmāt and from everyday life. Most are decorated with gold. This
Maqamat is particularly noted for its ability to depict various "types", according to they ethnic or social characteristics. Officials and "men of the sword" wear the
sharbush hat, coat and boots, and are often armed with a spear, reflecting Turkic styles.
Istanbul, Suleymaniye Library, Esad Efendi 2961 (1242-1258) This manuscript is badly damaged and all the faces were erased. Its colophon bears a dedication to Abbasid Caliph
Al-Musta'sim (1243–1258), but the location of its production is unknown. File:Suleymaniye Library, Esad Efendi 2916 folio a.jpg|Suleymaniye Library, Esad Efendi 2916 File:Suleymaniye Library, Esad Efendi 2916 folio b.jpg|Suleymaniye Library, Esad Efendi 2916 File:Suleymaniye Library, Esad Efendi 2916 folio c.jpg|Suleymaniye Library, Esad Efendi 2916 File:Suleymaniye Library, Esad Efendi 2916 folio d.jpg|Suleymaniye Library, Esad Efendi 2916
London, British Library, Or 1200 (1256) This manuscript has a colophon describing the date of its manufacture as 1256. It was made by an artist named Umar ibn Ali ibn al-Mubarak al-Mawsili ("from
Mosul"). The manuscript is quite damaged, and miniatures often have been clumsily repainted. File:British Library, Ms. Or. 1200 folio 1.jpg|British Library, Ms. Or. 1200 File:British Library, Ms. Or. 1200 folio 2.jpg|British Library, Ms. Or. 1200 File:British Library, Ms. Or. 1200 folio 3.jpg|British Library, Ms. Or. 1200 File:Abū Zayd in the children's school (al-Ḥarīrī, Maqāmāt, 654.1256). The British Library Board, or. 1200, fol. 156v.jpg|Abū Zayd in the children's school. British Library, Ms. Or. 1200
London, British Library, Ms. Or. 9718 (late 13th century) The manuscript is quite damaged, and many of the miniatures were repainted in rather recent times. The original artist was from
Damascus (folio 53r mentions "Work of Ghazi ibn 'Abd al-Rahman
al-Dimashqi", who is known to have been born in 1232–3 and died in 1310 at the age of 80, and apparently lived in Damascus all his life). File:Maqamat, Syria, late 13th-century, British Library, Ms. Or. 9718 Two camel riders in Arab bedouin costumes.jpg|Two camel riders in Arab bedouin costumes. Maqamat, Syria, late 13th-century, British Library, Ms. Or. 9718. File:Abū Zayd in the children's school. Britiah Library 9718.jpg|Abū Zayd in the children's school. British Library, Ms. Or. 9718.
Saint Petersburg, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ms. S.23 (13th century) This manuscript (also sometimes labelled Ms. C-23), although in rather poor condition, has many elaborate illustrations. It is undated, and the place of origin is unknown. File:Abu Zayd before the governor of Merv (thirty-eighth maqāma). Al-Hariri, Maqāmāt, thirteenth century. Saint-Petersburg Ms. S.23.jpg|Abu Zayd before the governor of Merv (Maqāma 28). Saint Petersburg Ms. S.23. File:Irakischer Maler um 1230 002.jpg|
A ship bound for Oman (Maqāma 39). Saint Petersburg, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ms. S.23. File:Irakischer Maler um 1230 003.jpg|Assembly File:Irakischer Maler um 1230 004.jpg|Travelers
London, British Library, Ms. Or. Add. 22114 (early 14th century) This manuscript may have been made in Syria, in the early 14th century. The first and last pages are lost. Many miniatures are well preserved, but they are dull and repetitive, suggesting a copy without much invention. A governorial figure wearing typically Seljuq or Turkic costume, particularly the
sharbush headgear, and quite similar to the figure of
Badr ad-Din Lu'lu' in other manuscripts, appears on several of the folios (such as
maqama 21). File:Maqamat of al-Hariri. Enthroned Prince. Probably Egypt 1334.jpg|Frontispiece with Mamluk court scene. Probably Egypt, dated 1334.
Maqamat of Al-Hariri. File:Maqamat of al-Hariri, Vienna manuscript AF 9, 1334 CE Folio 42v.jpg|
Maqamat of al-Hariri, Vienna manuscript AF 9, 1334 CE Folio 42v Arabischer Maler um 1335 003.jpg|
Maqamat of Al-Hariri, 1334 File:Arabischer Maler um 1335 002.jpg|Abū Zayd pleads before the
qāḍī of
Ma'arra,
Maqamat al-Hariri, (1334),
Austrian National Library Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Marsh 458 (1337) Only a few pages of this manuscript remain. The colophon indicates that it was manufactured in 1337 for an official at the Mamluk court, the Mamluk amir Nasir al-Din Muhammad, son of Husam al-Din Tarantay Silahdar, in
Cairo, Egypt. File:Ms. Marsh 458 Frontispiece.jpg|Ms. Marsh 458, Frontispiece File:Ms. Marsh 458 Folio 7b.jpg|Ms. Marsh 458, Folio 7b File:Ms. Marsh 458 Folio 29b.jpg|Ms. Marsh 458, Folio 29b File:Ms. Marsh 458 Folio 77b.jpg|Ms. Marsh 458, Folio 77b ==Figures of local potentates==