Middle Eastern Studies 392T - S-Medieval Arabic Travel Lit

This course examines the initial development of this genre of literature under the early Abbasid caliphate in Baghdad, and its subsequent flourishing in various courts and under various influences. Students will survey writings that are representative of key themes and stages in this process of literary development, examine their various emphases, and try to gauge their perspectives on Islamic societies and foreign cultures. The course readings consist of selected texts from primary sources in translation along with analytic perspectives by modern scholars.