The Alhambra at the Crossroads of History: Eastern and Western Visions in the Long Nineteenth Century

The Alhambra became a popular tourist destination in the 19th century, inspiring Western authors and artists to create Orientalism. However, the monument's visitors book, dating back to 1829, reveals that numerous Oriental observers had different perceptions of the Alhambra, including Westerners, Spaniards, Maghrebines, Ottoman Turks, Christian Arabs, and Muslim Arabs from the Mashreq. The book explores these variations and reveals the complex and entangled relations between East and West, North and South, Islam and Christianity, and centre and periphery during the heyday of Orientalism and Western hegemony.

Format: Hardback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 31 January 2024
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

The Alhambra, a captivating destination in the 19th century, experienced a surge in visitors, becoming a prominent symbol of Orientalism crafted by Western authors and artists ranging from Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand to Owen Jones and from Washington Irving to Jean-Leon Gerome. However, beneath this Western fascination lies a wealth of Oriental observations, as evidenced by the visitors book, which has been preserved since 1829. This book harnesses this untapped source to explore the diverse perceptions of the Alhambra by a multitude of actors, including Westerners, Spaniards, Maghrebines, Ottoman Turks, Christian Arabs, and Muslim Arabs from the Mashreq. By examining the contemporary press, memoirs, travelogues, photographs, and the visitors book, it constructs a comprehensive history of the intricate and interconnected relations between East and West, North and South, Islam and Christianity, center and periphery during the era of Orientalism and Western hegemony.

Weight: 726g
Dimension: 234 x 156 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399524872