Mahmud al-Himyari of Mirbat
محمد الحميري صاحب مرباط
From boat-hirer to lord of the Dhofar coast — Mahmud al-Himyari served as vizier to Mirbat's ruler, inherited the city by popular affection for his generosity, and in 619 rebuilt it as the walled al-Ahmadiyya beside a great freshwater spring; a lavish patron of poets 1.
At a glance
- Roles
- Ruler · Vizier
- Era
- The Crusades, Ayyubids and Mamluks
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
Mahmud ibn Muhammad al-Himyari, lord of Mirbat, Zafar and the Hadhramaut coast. Ibn al-Athir says that he began with a ship he hired out at sea to merchants, then became vizier to the lord of Mirbat, and that he had generosity, courage and good conduct. 2
His rule
When the lord of Mirbat died, he took the city, and the people obeyed him for love of him. In 619 AH he laid waste Mirbat and Zafar, and built a new city on the coast near Mirbat, at a great sweet spring that he channelled to it. He put a wall and a ditch around it, and called it al-Ahmadiyya. He loved poetry and gave generously to poets. 2
Sources
- al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir, p. 297
- al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir, p.297
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Mahmud al-Himyari of Mirbat”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/mahmud-al-himyari-mirbat/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.