Umar Rida Kahhala

Umar Rida Kahhala was a Syrian historian and literature scholar who published many important works on Arabic history, as well as indices of biographies of Arab scholars and intellectuals. He was born in Damascus in 1905 and studied at the University of Damascus and the University of Cairo. He worked as a teacher, a librarian, and a director of the National Library of Syria. He also participated in various cultural and academic activities and organizations. He wrote more than 50 books and articles, covering topics such as Islamic history, Arabic literature, linguistics, and biographical studies. His most famous work is Mu'jam al-Mu'allifin, a comprehensive biographical dictionary of Arabic authors in 15 volumes. He also wrote A'lām al-Nisā', a biographical index of Arab women. He died in Damascus in 1987 and was buried in his hometown. He is regarded as one of the most prominent and influential historians and writers of the 20th century in the Arab world.