Yahya ibn Mahmud al-Wasiti

Yahya ibn Mahmud al-Wasiti (Arabic: يحيى بن محمود الواسطي) was a 13th-century Iraqi-Arab[1][2][3] painter and calligrapher, noted for being the scribe and illustrator of al-Hariri's Maqamat dated 1237 CE (Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Arabe 5847).

[5] In 1237 he transcribed and illustrated a copy of al-Hariri's Maqamat typically shortened to Maqamat, and also known as the Assemblies,[6] a series of anecdotes of social satire written by Al-Hariri of Basra.

Al-Wasiti's illustrations, which are among the finest examples of a style used in the 13th-century, served as an inspiration for the modern Baghdad art movement in the 20th-century.

They are of "outstanding quality with fine composition, expressive figures, and vivid but controlled colours" and provide readers with "fascinating series of glimpses into and commentaries on 13th-century Islāmic life.

Fictional Arab people South Arabian deities