Ordering Imperial Worlds: From Late Medieval Spain to the Modern Middle East

A collection of essays by 10 scholars examines the history of the Islamic world through the lens of architecture, literature, history, and visual studies, focusing on cross-cultural exchanges across the Mediterranean. The book explores themes such as Muslim-Christian art, Ottoman music, art and literature, and cross-Mediterranean sites of containment, and is inspired by the work of architectural historian Zeynep Elik.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 350 pages
Publication date: 31 October 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Studies of cross-cultural exchanges across the Mediterranean have recently embraced innovative interdisciplinary methodologies, resulting in an edited volume that offers comprehensive architectural, literary, historical, and visual analyses. This work specifically emphasizes the interpretation of archives, contributing to a field of comparative cultural studies.

The chapters in this book open with original and critical perspectives, ultimately coalescing into a wealth of new ways of understanding the history of the Islamic world. It represents a significant advancement in theories of empire and discusses cases from medieval Spain, the Ottoman Empire, colonial North Africa, and France and Algeria, based on primary sources.

This volume of original essays invites ten renowned scholars to engage with a rich corpus of cities, empires, images, and archaeological sites produced by the distinguished architectural historian Zeynep Elik. Elik's work has been recognized with the prestigious 2019 Giorgio Della Vida medal for excellence in Islamic studies by the University of California. This occasion provided a platform for researchers from diverse universities, countries, and disciplines to reflect on Elik's extensive body of work.

Inspired by Elik's contributions, the chapters in this book traverse between Muslim and Christian Spain, the Ottoman Empire, France, Europe, and its overseas empire in North Africa. They combine social, cultural, urban history, visual studies, and collective political memory to chart detailed studies of Muslim-Christian art, Ottoman music, art, and literature, as well as cross-Mediterranean sites of containment such as prisons, asylums, and nuclear sites.

By employing these interdisciplinary approaches, the book offers a fresh and insightful perspective on the complex history of the Mediterranean region, shedding light on the interactions, exchanges, and cultural transformations that have shaped its past. It serves as a valuable resource for scholars, students, and anyone interested in exploring the rich tapestry of this region's cultural heritage.

Weight: 884g
Dimension: 162 x 243 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399517867