Born in Damascus—as his name "Dimashqi" implies—he mostly wrote of his native land, the Greater Syria (Bilad ash-Sham), upon the complete withdrawal of the Crusaders.
He became a contemporary of the Mamluk sultan Baibars, the general who led the Muslims in war against the Crusaders.
[1] Al-Dimashqi (1325) gives detailed accounts of islands in Maritime Southeast Asia, its inhabitants, flora, fauna and customs.
Of their rivals the Khmer, Al-Dimashqi (1325) mentions they inhabit the island of Komor (Khmer), also called Malay Island, are many towns and cities, rich-dense forests with huge, tall trees, and white elephants; they supplemented their income from the trade routes not only by exporting ivory and aloe, but also by engaging in piracy and raiding on Muslim and Chinese shipping.
Al-Dimaski's writings on Syria were published in St. Petersburg in 1866 by M.A.F Mehren, and this edition was later used for the English translation by Guy Le Strange in 1890.