Bayanin Afirka (littafi na 1550)

An ɗauki ***bayanin Afirka*** da yawa daga aikin farko *na Cosmographia et geographica de Africa* wanda Leo Africanus ya kammala a 1526   kuma an buga shi ƙarƙashin taken ***Della descrittione dell'Africa et delle cose notabili che ivi sono*** na Giovanni Battista Ramusio a cikin tarin matafiya *ta hanyar asusun ajiyar kuɗi* .  Ya ƙunshi cikakken bayanin farko da aka buga a Turai game da Tekun Barbary (Moroco na zamani, Aljeriya, da Tunisiya) da masarautun cinikin zinare na yammacin tsakiyar Afirka.  Leo Africanus, sanannen matafiyi kuma ɗan kasuwa na Moorish ne ya rubuta littafin a cikin harshen Italiyanci wanda 'yan fashi suka kama kuma suka sayar da shi a matsayin bawa. An gabatar da shi, tare da littafinsa, ga Paparoma Leo X, ya yi baftisma kuma ya 'yanta shi. Leo, wanda ya ɗauka sunansa a baftisma, ya ba da shawarar cewa ya sake yin aikin Larabci da Italiyanci; an kammala shi a shekara ta 1526.  Ramusio ya sake buga shi akai-akai a cikin *Delle navigationi e viaggi*, wanda aka fassara zuwa Faransanci kuma zuwa Latin don masu ilimi, duka a cikin 1556.

*Bayanin* yana cikin littattafai tara, littafin gabatarwa da shafi akan koguna da fauna da flora, tare da littattafai guda bakwai tsakanin, kowannensu yana kwatanta masarauta: masarautun Marrakesh, Fez, Tlemcen da Tunis, da yankunan Numidia, yankunan Saharar Sahara, da Masar . An rarraba aikin a cikin rubutun hannu shekaru da yawa. A cikin rubutun Ramusio ne Pietro Bembo ya karanta kuma ya yi mamaki: "Ba zan iya tunanin yadda mutum zai iya samun cikakkun bayanai game da waɗannan abubuwa ba", ya rubuta wa wani ɗan jarida, 2 Afrilu 1545. 

Muhimmancin littafin ya samo asali ne daga daidaito a lokacin da yankin ba a san shi ba ga Turawa,  da kuma buga shi a daidai lokacin da ikon Kiristanci na Latin ke kan hanyar karo da Daular Ottoman a Bahar Rum da Gabashin Turai, yayin da a lokaci guda Yammacin Afirka ya zama mafi sauƙi ga Turawa.

Littafin ya kasance babban nasara a Turai, kuma an fassara shi zuwa wasu harsuna da yawa,  ya kasance tabbataccen aikin bincike shekaru da yawa (kuma zuwa wani mataki, ƙarni) bayan haka. A cikin Ingilishi John Pory ne ya yi hidima, wanda fassararsa ta bayyana a cikin 1600 a ƙarƙashin taken A Geographical Historie of Africa, Written in Arabicke and Italian by Iohn Leo a More... A cikin wane nau'i ne Shakespeare zai iya ganin ta kuma ya sake yin alamu a cikin ƙirƙirar halin lakabi na Othello (ca. 1603).

Sake gano rubutun da aka yi a ƙarni na ashirin ya nuna cewa Ramusio, wajen sassauta nahawu na rubutun Leo Africanus ya yi launi da cikakkun bayanai na tsaka-tsaki,  don sa ya fi dacewa ga masu sauraron Kirista na Turai; Fassarar Faransanci da Ingilishi sun ƙara ƙarin kayan ado. Fassarorin zamani waɗanda suka haɗa wannan rubutun sun fi gaskiya ga asali. 

## Bugawa

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* The first translation into English.
*  Scans from the Internet Archive: Volume 1 (pages 1-224); Volume 2 (pages 225-698); Volume 3 (pages 699- ); Index.
* Scholarly translation into French with extensive notes.

## Magana

## Ƙara karatu

* Contain a translation into English of Leo Africanus's descriptions of the Middle Niger, Hausaland and Bornu. Corresponds to Épaulard 1956 Vol II pages 463–481.
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* Scholarly translation into French with extensive notes.
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