Al-Baghdadi Abdul Latif - The book of benefit and lesson in observed matters and witnessed incidents in the land of Egypt

The plants, animals, and famine in Egypt during the thirteenth century. The book of Benefit and Consideration begins with a description of the daily life of Egypt at the beginning of the seventh century AH / thirteenth century AD, just before it turned into a terrifying nightmare of famine and plague. The book was written by a doctor and a well-educated scholar named Abdul Latif al-Baghdadi, and was presented to the Abbasid Caliph al-Nasir. The first part includes a detailed description of Egypt's geography, its plants and animals, as well as its local cuisine including recipes, among them the method of preparing the giant travel pie made of three whole roasted sheep and dozens of chickens. Abdul Latif al-Baghdadi’s book is considered a pioneering work in the field of ancient Egyptian archaeology, with a detailed record of pharaonic artifacts, sculptures, and mummies. As one of the early advocates for preserving artifacts, Abdul Latif al-Baghdadi condemned the acts of destruction carried out by tomb robbers, and he lamented that Egyptian grocers were writing prices on pieces that are actually recycled mummy wrappings. The second half of the book recounts al-Baghdadi’s horrifying observations of the great famine that struck Egypt in the years 597-598 AH / 1200-1202 AD, where Abdul Latif was very keen to monitor the human aspect, providing vivid images of the famine, cannibalism, and a society in moral decline. The book of Benefit and Consideration contains a wide variety within a narrow scope, distinguished by a sharp human mind of its author, accompanied by intense curiosity, as it is rare to hear such a voice that responds directly to modernity, beauty, and tragedy.