Acaibü’l-Mahlukat

Acâibü’l-Mahlûkât is a term used in Islamic literature to refer to encyclopedic works that compile information on geography, cosmography, natural sciences, mythological elements, and various wonders. These texts reflect the worldview, conception of creation, understanding of cosmic order, and body of knowledge about the world prevailing in their respective eras. Such works, composed and translated into various languages, were most commonly written in Persian and Arabic in the Islamic world, with the works of Ahmed et-Tûsî and Zekeriyyâ el-Kazvînî exerting particularly strong influence. From the 13th to the 15th centuries, multiple translations into Turkish were also produced.

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Origin and Development of the Genre

Sources and Tradition

The Acâibü’l-Mahlûkât tradition was transmitted to the Islamic world through Greco-Roman cosmographic and zoological texts by thinkers such as Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Theophrastus. Within this framework, Islamic scholars expanded this legacy by integrating it with contemporary knowledge and observations, producing works in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish.

Scope of Topics

These works encompass a broad range of subjects, including:

• cosmology and astronomy,
• the Earth and climate zones,
• mountains, seas, and rivers,
• plants and animals,
• human communities,
• jinns, angels, and devils,
• extraordinary creatures.

The information is often reinforced by references to Quranic verses, hadiths, narrations, anecdotes, and folk tales.

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Main Authors and Works

Ahmed et-Tûsî (d. 12th century)

Tûsî’s Persian-language work, Acâyibü’l-Mahlûkāt ve Garâyibü’l-Mevcûdât, was dedicated to the Seljuk sultan Tuğrul b. Arslan. The work consists of ten “rükns” systematically addressing the heavens, the Earth, seas, mountains, cities, plants, humans, jinns, and animals. This text has had a particularly strong influence on Turkish translations.

Zekeriyyâ el-Kazvînî (d. 682/1283)

Kazvînî’s Arabic-language work, Acâibü’l-Mahlûkāt ve Garâibü’l-Mevcûdât, comprises four prefaces, two main treatises, and a conclusion. Beginning with the cosmic order and classification of created beings, the work offers extensive descriptions of the higher and lower realms. The conclusion particularly focuses on extraordinary creatures of the seas and lands, hybrid animals, and peculiar human types. Manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries are notable for their illustrated versions.

Kazvînî’s work is also known for its detailed descriptions of extraordinary creatures in regions such as the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea.

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Acâibü’l-Mahlûkât in Turkish Literature

Early Translations

The Turkish tradition of Acâibü’l-Mahlûkât began in the 14th century with the translation by Ali b. Abdurrahman. Subsequently, numerous authors produced various translations and adaptations, including:

• Yazıcıoğlu Ahmed Bîcân,
• Sürûrî,
• Bennâî b. Muhammed Herevî,
• Bosna Kadısı Mevlânâ Gınâî,
• Eyüb b. Halîl.

Ahmed Bîcân’s Acâibü’l-Mahlûkât

The Turkish text composed by Yazıcıoğlu Ahmed Bîcân in 857/1453 is an abridged version of Kazvînî’s work. The author states that he translated it into Turkish because the original Arabic text was inaccessible to the local population. The content progresses through sections on the heavens, winds, seas, lands, cities, mountains, animals, and humans.

Translation by an Anonymous Translator

During the reign of Çelebi Mehmed (15th century), an anonymous translator produced the Tercüme-i Acâibü’l-Mahlûkât, which follows the tradition of Tûsî and is structured in ten rükns. The manuscript dated 1448 is notable for its dictionary and index.

Other Works and Studies

In addition to Ahmed Bican’s version, Turkish literature also includes translations composed in Eastern Turkish. These translations demonstrate the emergence of a shared narrative tradition across both Western and Eastern Turkish-speaking regions.

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Content of the Acâibü’l-Mahlûkât Genre

Cosmology and Astronomy

These works typically begin with descriptions of the structure of the heavens, the nature of the sun, moon, and stars, and the movements of the planets. The layers of the heavens, the ranks of angels, and the structure of the higher realm are explained within a cosmographic framework.

Earth, Climates, and Geography

The Earth is depicted in terms of:

• mountains,
• rivers,
• cities,
• countries,
• climate zones.

Turkish translations contain numerous extraordinary accounts concerning seas and lands, including tales of serpent islands, giant whales, strange societies, and unusual natural phenomena.

Plants and Animals

The medicinal properties of plants, fruits, and herbal remedies are described in detail. Animals include both natural and extraordinary species:

• giant whales,
• animals with human faces,
• hybrid creatures half-human and half-animal,
• mermaids and magical beings.

Human Types and Strange Communities

Unusual human communities living in remote regions are described as “wondrous” based on their physical or behavioral characteristics.

Jinns, Angels, and Metaphysical Beings

In particular, in Tûsî’s work and its Turkish translations, jinns constitute a separate section. Their types, duties, and relationships with humans and heroes—such as Jamshid, Dhu al-Qarnayn, and Rüstem-i Zâl—are described in detail.

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Acâibü’l-Mahlûkât in Art History

The Arabic and Persian manuscripts of this genre, especially from the 13th and 14th centuries, were frequently produced as illustrated codices. The extraordinary creatures, hybrid animals, and sea beings depicted in the conclusions established an iconographic tradition. These images served as models for later illustrated manuscripts. Depictions related to the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea portray unusual animals and unknown island communities.

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Linguistic and Stylistic Features

Turkish translations exhibit characteristic features of Old Anatolian Turkish and Ottoman Turkish, incorporating technical terms borrowed from Arabic and Persian, along with a rich vocabulary and verb system. In Rükneddin Ahmed’s text, approximately 4,747 words and 657 verb forms have been identified.

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Manuscripts and Publication Efforts

Numerous Arabic, Persian, and Turkish manuscripts of the Acâibü’l-Mahlûkât genre are preserved in libraries across Türkiye and the world. Notable manuscripts include:

• Süleymaniye Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi, Nuri Arlasez Collection, no. 128 (Tûsî translation)
• Millet Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi, Ali Emiri Tarih, no. 897 (Tercüme-i Acâibü’l-Mahlûkât)
• TBMM Kütüphanesi Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu, Turkish manuscript attributed to Ahmed Bican