Shamarikh fi Ilm al-Tarikh

The manuscript "Zahr al-Shamarikh in Historiography", by the author Abou Ras al-Nasir al-Muaskari, is considered one of his most important historical works. It constitutes a major source of Algerian historical heritage in particular, and Maghrebi heritage in general. Its content primarily focuses on an in-depth investigation into the chronicles of certain historians and their classifications. This manuscript falls under the scope of universal history, as it compiles a collection of chronicles spanning from the creation of the world up to the prophetic mission. It also covers other themes, notably overviews of North Africa and its Amazigh populations—particularly the Berber and Zenata tribes—as well as accounts of the Turks, the kings of France, and the dynasties of Al-Andalus. Furthermore, the author includes passages dedicated to Greece, certain Arab tribes, reflections on Sufism, and a critical discussion of Ibn Khaldoun's theses. Despite all this richness, this manuscript remains a "young" field of study that still needs to be further brought to light and popularized. The interest of the Center for Research in Social and Cultural Anthropology (CRASC) in the works of Abi Ras al-Nasir al-Muaskari is not new, as evidenced by the publication of a critical edition of his manuscript entitled "Al-Durra al-Aniqa fi sharh al-'Aqiqa".