Collectibles are a feature found in the majority of games these days. They give players a reason to stray from the beaten path of quests and to explore every nook and cranny of a game’s map in search of what secrets it may hold.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage is the latest entry in the beloved Assassin’s Creed franchise, and it features many different collectibles such as Gear Chests, Dervis’ Artifacts, Mysterious Shards, and solving enigmas to just name a few. In addition to these collectibles will be various Lost Books. Getting your hands on all of these books will reward you with the Scholar Costume — and an achievement to brag about. Remember to use your flying companion Enkidu to mark things when entering new areas or to give the Cartographer your Scholar Favor Tokens to mark collectibles on your map.
Updated by Chad Thesen on October 11th, 2023: This article has been updated for the purpose of modifying existing entries to give them greater clarity and to add embedded links to similar articles. These links include articles about one of the Gear Chests players can open and explain how to solve one of the game’s enigmas.
Lost Book 1 – Tafsir Of Al-Tabari
The first book to go after will be found in Harbiyah. The suggested rank for this book is Initiate, making it a breeze to obtain. If you look at your map, you will head to the Nestorian Monastery — which can be found North of Zubaydiyah. Do not go into the monastery. Instead, look to the North West of the “N” on your map. There will be a secret entrance stairway that leads downward. Follow the wall on your left as you make your way down several rows of stairs and then take the first door on the left that you come to.
Head all the way to the opposite end of this door and then take a right turn. Follow this path all the way to a room with no doors. You will be able to pull the shelves in the corner of this room. Now, again you will follow the wall on the left until you come to another shelf you can pull — pull it towards you like the previous one. Follow the left wall yet again, and you will come to a third shelf you can pull. Follow the left wall once more and pay attention to the floor.
You will find a piece of the wall missing that you can slide under. This will put you in a room that has two hanging white drapes on the left wall in the corner of the room. Run through these drapes to the opposite end of the room they lead to. Here you will find the Lost Book you seek. Interact with it to pick it up.
Lost Book 2 – Kalila Wa-Dimna
The next book you seek will also be Harbiyah, but located far to the southwest of the previous one. If you cross the river from the Tomb of Zubaydah towards the Great Mosque, you will pass through a Historical Site. Next to this site will be the next Lost Book — the exact position shown above. As you head towards this book from the Historical Site, you will pass underneath an archway. From this archway, you will see a red door and two windows. The first window is sealed shut, but the other is wide open. Luckily, you can climb up and through this open window.
You will not be able to pass through the door just yet, as it is still locked. Instead, make your way through the open window and follow the railings on the right-hand side. You will then go around a corner that takes you down some stairs. You will be able to throw a knife at the red vase to trigger an explosion and allow you to access the door at the bottom of the windows. Head back to the door and enter the room it leads to. On your left will be the second Lost Book.
Lost Book 3 – The Banu Musa: The Book Of Ingenious Devices
This is the first Lost Book in an area that will recommend you be an Apprentice — Karkh. You will start by heading northwest of the Harbor Camp found north of Sharqiyah. Coming from the east side of where the book is marked on the map above, you will find a building with wooden bars on the window. Look through these bars and use a throwing knife at the shutter on the other side. This will cause the shutters to drop and allow you to gain access to the room between the windows. Go around the building to the window you just opened and pass through it. Head forward and look to your right to see the Lost Book sitting on a desk.
Lost Book 4 – Suleimain Al-Tajir: Accounts Of China And India
South of Karkh you will see the Wilderness South location. Directly above the “n” of your map here will be a line that bends. Below this bend is the Tuesday Market, where the next Lost Book can be picked up. Head to the middle of the Tuesday Market and you will find a ladder inside this building. Climb up this ladder and turn right. Tun around the railing on your right side and follow it to the end of the wall where you will see the Lost Book sitting on a desk in front of some scrolls.
Lost Book 5 – Al-Kwarizmi: Al-Jabr
For this Lost Book, you will want to head northwest of Yasiriyah, found in Abbasiyah. If you zoom in, you will see an Observatory; you can follow the river from this observatory toward the gate. Break the door of the final building before the wall. As you pass through the frame of the door you destroyed, walk around the corner and watch your right side. You will see a bookshelf that you can pull towards you. Head around this bookshelf once you pull it to find some stairs. Head all the way up to the top of these stairs and you will find a table in the middle of the room covered in scrolls. In the middle of all these scrolls will be the Lost Book.
Lost Book 6 – Kitab Al-Azif
Head to the southeast section of the map that breaks up into plenty of small landmasses among lots of marshy waters. Use the image above to find a Historical Site called Seleuia-on-the-Tigris. Once you are here, look at the top of the structures until you see a triangular brown tarp. Head on over to this structure, and you will find a ladder on one of its sides. Climb to the top of this ladder to get a good view of a sealed-up square on the ground below.
This square will be towards the south of the ladder you climbed up. There is an explosive pot you can throw down onto this square to open it up. If you make a mistake, do not fret, there are more pots below where you climbed up the ladder. Once this debris has been destroyed, you will see a Lost Book in the middle of this square.
Lost Book 7 – Al-Sikkit: Diwan Abu Nu’as
This book will not be one you can beeline for once you make it to the Round City. Rather, you will only be able to get this book after you have completed the mission, “The Serpent’s Nest.” So you will need to progress the main story in order to get this book. This book can be found in the Palace of the Green Dome, which is located in the middle of the Round City. As you go inside this building, follow the wall on the left, and you will see a large shelf of books and scrolls. Head towards this shelf and make a right turn. You will some stairs with a red carpet in the middle. Head up these stairs and make a right turn. You will come to some more stairs that you will need to go up.
As you reach the top of these stairs, make a right turn. Follow along the wall on your right until you come to an open door. As you pass through this door, again you will want to follow along the right wall until you come to the first door you see — you will be able to interact with this door to open it. There will be another door on the opposite end of the hallway from the door you just opened. Beyond this door at the end of the hallway will be a bed chamber; take a left turn as you enter this room, and you will find the final Lost Book.
How To Acquire The Scholar Costume
First, speak with Al-Jahiz in the House of Wisdom. After that, you will need to have collected all of the Lost Books mentioned above. Once you have them all, return to Al-Jahiz to give him the books. He will give you the Scholar Costume as a reward for your services. This will allow you to check off one of the many outfits you will be able to get your hands on in Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Obtaining everything featured in the game will extend how long it takes for you to beat the game, but some of these rewards will grant you a very wide range of features and give you a far greater experience for time playing the game.