المواعظ والاعتبار بذكر الخطط والآثار

Information obtained from the university's website. A digital copy of the manuscript was also consulted. Title from titlepiece on fol.1a (p.1).

Copyist(S): Essentially three hands appear ; main hand is that of al-Maqrīzī [Hand M], a very distinctive hand the identification of which was confirmed by Frédéric Bauden (for samples, see Bauden's Maqriziana articles, as well as the notice of Dozy for the three volumes of al-Muqaffá), Naskh, sans serif, with mainly closed counters, distinct right-ward slant (more or less apparent throughout) and strong horizontal character (effect of elongation and flattening in comparison with other Mamlūk naskhs) ; idiosyncrasies include: rightward-pointing tails on final yāʼ and alif maqṣūrah which curl back under the word, ''قال'' with somewhat hook-shaped alif which curls up and over the qāf (supplying the otherwise absent pointing), and ''هم'' for which the letters are positioned nearly one above the other ; somewhat casually pointed and unvocalized ; appearing next often is the hand supplying the replacements at the opening and at various other places [Hand B, see fol.1a-2b (p.1-4), fol.58a-59b(p.115-118), etc.], Naskh, with lām-alif al-muḥaqqaqah, occasionally seeming to attempt a slight imitation of al-Maqrīzī's hand, but without success ; finally, the other replacement hand appearing at the close and various places [Hand C, see fol.95a-95b (p.189-190), fol.261a-262b (p.521-524), etc.], Naskh, quite readable, fully pointed and partially vowelled, with mainly closed counters and kāf mashkūlah preferred.


Decoration: Illuminated titlepiece on fol.1a (p.1) [supplied later, roughly 17th century] consisting of central medallion in nine concentric circles (red, blue, black, and gold) with rectangular panels above and below, framed in a thick gold band outlined by black fillets ; upper panel carries the title in black ink. ; incipit and facing page are framed in gold band outlined by black fillets ; remainder of text (and even inserts) is framed in rule border consisting of two red fillets, a portion of which was apparently supplied after the main text was transcribed and glossed (in many places, gaps have been left to accommodate marginalia, border of fol.180b/p.360 obviously drawn after slip inserted, etc.). several leaves left partially or entirely blank, as well as lacuna where date would appear on fol.4a (p.7) ; catchwords present ; run of foliation p.287-403, with اول written out at the beginning and the final number being 56 ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals (supplied during cataloguing).

Layout: single column with numerous large gaps, blank (ruled and un-ruled) pages, and sewn-in slips in the primary hand (i.e. of al-Maqrīzī) ; frame-ruled. Manuscript lacks dated colophon; however, via F. Bauden's analysis it is possible to suggest a dating for the transcription between 818 and 831 AH [1415 and 1427 CE] with replacements supplied in the 17th century (as paper for those sections suggests). The ms. plainly represents the author's fair copy (compare published editions and other ms. copies, e.g. MS Ayasofya 3480 which was plainly copied from this very ms.), which given analysis of its content, was likely begun in 819 (see fol.225a/p.449 where al-Maqrīzī states ''والامر على ذلك مستمر الى وقتنا هذا وهو سنة تسع عشرة وثماني مائة'' ; it is more likely that this refers to the date at the time the section was copied rather than to a date appearing in the draft being copied, which was certainly completed by 816 - see F. Bauden's currently proposed dating for the composition of the Khiṭaṭ in ''Maqriziana II'' in Mamlûk Studies Review XII, 2008 and ''Maqriziana IX'' in Mamlûk Studies Review XIV, 2010). Analysis of additions to the fair copy in the margins, at the end of a section or on the inserted slips (''notecards'') provide dates that range from 820 to 828 AH. Hence Bauden's conclusion that the fair copy was begun in 818-819 AH [1415-1417 CE] and this volume completed in 828 AH [1424-25 CE]. Al-Maqrīzī often left large spaces and sometimes entire leaves blank, thus the hands of the later contributors sometimes appear on the original paper.

On recto of front flyleaf several numerals, possibly inventory numbers or prices. ; several marks of collation, ''بلغ'' appears in margins of several folia (see fol.6a/p.5, fol.32a/p.63, etc.) in various hands ; numerous marginal glosses in hand of al-Maqrīzī marked ''ح'' ; numerous marginal corrections in hand of al-Maqrīzī marked ''صح'' ; on fol.144a (p.287) an inscription reads ''هذا بخط العلامة المقريزي''.