A Glimpse at the Travelogues of Baghdad

1. Auflage 2022
ISBN: 978-1-032-18810-2
Verlag: Routledge

Buch, Englisch, 124 Seiten, Format (B × H): 145 mm x 222 mm, Gewicht: 300 g

Reihe: Routledge Focus on Literature

The history of Baghdad in the 18th and 19th centuries had predominantly been written by two groups. The first group is Baghdadi scholars, and the second group is travellers. These two resources complement each other; while the literature of Baghdadi scholars provides insights from inside, travelogues provide observations from outside. By implementing this interlocking method of investigation, we can reach a comprehensive understanding of the history of Baghdad. Having investigated some sources from inside in my previous book; Baghdad: an urban history through the lens of literature, the focus of this book is on travel literature. The history of travelogues throughout different periods of Baghdad’s history is highlighted, with a particular focus on 18th and 19th century travelogues. This period was a critical epoch of change, not just in Baghdad, but across the world. Nevertheless, this book does not intend to provide a documentary of the travellers who visited Baghdad. It is rather an analytical study of the colonial literature in relation to the historiography of Baghdad.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate

Autoren/Hrsg.

Al-Attar, Iman

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Regierungspolitik
• Geowissenschaften Geographie | Raumplanung Regional- & Raumplanung Stadtplanung, Kommunale Planung
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Literaturen sonstiger Sprachräume Literatur des Nahen Ostens & Nordafrikas
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Literarische Strömungen & Epochen
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Naher & Mittlerer Osten

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Contents

Illustrations v

Introduction 1

Author’s note 4

- The context of travel writing 5

- Baghdad and the Ottoman Empire 9

One name and multiple locations 9

A unique city with a mysterious history 11

The Ottoman Empire 15

The perception of Ottoman cities in historiography 16

The Mamluk’s ruling of Baghdad 20

- Travelogues and history Representation 29

Travelogues methods and attitudes 29

Travelogues and Orientalism 33

Travelogues and Islamic studies 36

Travelogues and heritage understanding 43

- Diverse travelers before the 18th Century 46

Regional travelers 46

European travelers 50

- Europeans Involvement in the 18th Century 53

Mapping Efforts of Carsten Niebuhr 54

The Novels of Guillaume Antoine Olivier 60

- British Intervention Intensifies 66

The Arabian Nights 67

Political focus of Claudius Rich 69

Lifestyle conditions by Mary Rich 73

City descriptions by James Silk Buckingham 76

Colonial interests in Heude’s writings 88

- Summary 94

Endnotes 98

Bibliography

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Iman Al-Attar is an Iraqi architect, historian and a doctor in philosophy and urban history. She is currently doing research on topics including urban history, Islamic architecture, cultural issues and Baghdad. In 2018 she published her first book; Baghdad: an urban history through the lens of literature, which examines the writings of some local scholars who stayed in Baghdad in the 18th and 19th centuries.