A Window to the Past? - Tracing Ibn Iyas's Narrative Ways of Worldmaking

The only Arabic voice to have witnessed the Ottoman conquest of Cairo, Ibn Iyas, is an eminent historical source for the late Mamluk period. This book is the first to take stock of the author's complete works, approaching him through an examination of his narrative voice and writing strategies. Tracing Ibn Iyas's working process by compilation analysis, it shows how the author adapted his representations of Egyptian history to his writing projects and audience. Ibn Iyas's ways of worldmaking are shaped deeply by beliefs, biases and intellectual trends as well as the impact of the social and historical context the author wrote in. Knowing these conditioning factors allows to understand his presentation of history as an individual voice of his time.

About the author

Dr Anna Kollatz is professor for Islamic Studies (Arabic), University of Heidelberg, who focuses on Islam in the Mediterranean and in South Asia.

Product details

• Authors: Anna Kollatz
• Publisher: V&R unipress
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 14.07.2022
• EAN: 9783847114482
• ISBN: 978-3-8471-1448-2
• No. of pages: 314
• Dimensions: 159 mm x 22 mm x 245 mm
• Weight: 583 g
• Illustrations: with one figure
• Series: Mamluk Studies
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > History > Middle Ages