Six constellations of the northern skies: Corona Borealis (al-fakkah; in Arabic); Cygnus (al-dajajah) shown here as a crested bird; and Lyra depicted as a green parrot; with Cassiopeia seated on a throne in the middle; and Perseus (bottom right) and Bo谩tes (bottom left).

Abu Yahya Zakariya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini (??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ????????) (born 1203 - died 1283); was a Persian physician; astronomer; geographer and proto-science fiction writer.

Born in the Persian town of Qazvin; he was descended from Anas ibn Malik; Zakariya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini served as legal expert and judge (qadhi) in several localities in Persia and at Baghdad. He travelled around in Mesopotamia and Syria; and finally entered the circle patronized by the governor of Baghdad; 鈥楢ta-Malik Juwayni (d. 1283 CE).

It was to the latter that al-Qazwini dedicated his famous Arabic-language cosmography titled 'Aja'ib al-makhluqat wa-ghara'ib al-mawjudat ????? ????????? ? ????? ????????? ('Marvels of Creatures and Strange Things Existing'). This treatise; frequently illustrated; was immensely popular and is preserved today in many copies. It was translated into Persian and Turkish.