A new source for the period of Fatimids: Oceans, seas, rivers and lakes according to the Book of Curiosities

The Fāṭimids, standing against the Sunnī understanding, aimed to spread the Shiʻa creed all over the world and to be the true representatives of Islam. For this reason, Fāṭimids, who started to expand in the North African region, made strategic conquests in the Mediterranean in a short time. Although gaining superiority in the Mediterranean Basin was their primary goal, they were aiming to reach as far as the Chinese region. The Book of Curiosities, which is an anonymous geographical source, was chosen as the subject of the thesis for the master's thesis. The research aims to reveal the military, political, social and economic meaning that the Fāṭimids attributed to the maritime area and water routes through the maps discussed in the Book of Curiosities.