Introduction to the Original Work "Tarikh Dimashq" (تاريخ دمشق), meaning "History of Damascus" , is one of the most monumental encyclopedic works of Islamic history. It was compiled by the great 12th-century Sunni scholar Abu al-Qasim Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Hibat Allah ibn Asakir al-Dimashqi (1105–1176 CE / 499–571 AH).