1956 Al-Baba / Makkarim Bilingual Map of the Arab League States

Institutionalizing Pan-Arabism

This is a rare c. 1956 bilingual (Arabic-English) map of the Arab League States, spanning the Arabian Peninsula, northeastern Africa, and the Levant, prepared by the Beirut Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It reflects the region during the early years of Gamal Abdel Nasser's presidency of Egypt, when he and his country took a leading role in the Arab League and the wider pan-Arab movement.

A Closer Look

This map covers portions of western Asia and northeastern Africa, focusing on the Arab countries of Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Transjordan, Saudi Arabia, North Yemen, and Sudan, which were members of the Arab League when published. Neighboring countries and colonies that were not members of the Arab League are also included. The map indicates national borders, roads (paved highways and carriage roads), railroads, major towns, settlements, and rivers.

The map has some notable and unusual features. Most obvious is the mapping of the Trucial States (the future U.A.E.) as well as Qatar and Bahrain within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; whether this was done for the sake of simplicity or some other reason is unclear. Also, the Persian Gulf also appears with that name (الخليج الفارسي) instead of the 'Arab Gulf' (الخليج العربي) as would become standard in the Arab world with the rise of pan-Arabism.

Historical Context

The Arab League was officially established in Cairo on March 22, 1945. Its creation represented the first major institutional manifestation of the growing pan-Arab movement, an ideology advocating for the political, cultural, and economic unification of the Arab world as European colonial rule began to recede. However, from its inception, the League reflected a delicate compromise. While the popular pan-Arab sentiment demanded a borderless Arab nation, the League's charter fiercely protected individual state sovereignty. This structural tension, compounded by deep dynastic rivalries between the Hashemites, particularly King Abdullah I (r. 1921 - 1951), who aspired to unify Arabs under their rule, and the Egyptian-Saudi bloc, severely hindered the League's cohesion. Its first major trial, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, exposed these fractures plainly, as a lack of military coordination and conflicting territorial ambitions among member states resulted in a fracturing of early pan-Arab idealism.

The dynamics of the League and the pan-Arab movement shifted dramatically in the early 1950s with the rise of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser following the 1952 revolution. Nasser transformed pan-Arabism from an elite diplomatic pursuit into a fiery, populist anti-imperialist mass movement (Nasserism). Under his influence, Cairo became the undisputed political hub of the Arab world, and Egypt increasingly used the Arab League as a vehicle to project its leadership and rally regional opposition against Western-backed defense pacts, such as the 1955 Baghdad Pact. By the time of the 1956 Suez Crisis, the Arab League had evolved into a diplomatic shield for Nasser's assertive nationalist policies. Nasser's political triumph over the tripartite invasion of British, French, and Israeli forces solidified the Arab League's alignment with radical anti-colonialism, cementing pan-Arabism as the dominant ideological force in the region for the decade to follow.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by the Beirut Chamber of Commerce and Industry (غُرْفَة تِجَارَة وَصِنَاعَة بَيْرُوت), having been drawn by Izzat Al-Baba (عِزَّتِ البَابَا), calligraphed by Nasib Makarim (نَسِيب مَكَارِم), and printed by the Catholic Press in Beirut (المَطْبَعَة الكَاثُولِيكِيَّة - بَيْرُوت). It is assumed to date from 1956, when Sudan joined the Arab League, though this could be the result of Sudan being ruled from Egypt as part of a 'condominium' (Anglo-Egyptian Sudan). The retention of Italian Somaliland, which was administered as a British 'Trust Territory' from 1950 to 1960, might indicate an earlier date, in the late 1940s. In any event, we have not been able to locate any maps with this title (either the English or Arabic title) in institutional collections.

Cartographers

Naseeb Saeed Makkarim (نسيب سعيد مكارم ; September 14, 1889 - June 4, 1971) was a renowned Lebanese calligrapher. Makkarim was born to a Druze family in Aitat. He attended the American School of Souk El Gharb for several years but had to leave due to his father's death and the need to support his family. He initially trained to be a carpenter but became passionate about calligraphy, no doubt influenced by his mother, who was an accomplished calligrapher. With practice and guidance from older calligraphers, Makkarim became adept at writing script on tiny surfaces including individual grains of rice, which earned him acclaim and competitions from 1909 onwards. He was particularly skilled at the Thuluth ('one-third') style of calligraphy and was known to the various monarchies (and later republics) of the Near East as one of the finest living calligraphers in the early-mid 20th century. He also became a prominent cultural figure and leader in the Druze community, eventually earning the title of Sheikh.   Further Details...

Catholic Press (fl. 1847-1974) were Beirut's principal publishing outlet. They were founded and operated by the Jesuit order, and appear to have been active until about 1974. They were particularly active in the production of Arab-English dictionaries, but were active in antiquarian, historical and scientific areas as well.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good. Some light marginal spotting.