Culture and Memory in Medieval Islam

A study of themes relating to memory, memorization, memorializing or commemorating in a variety of historical, legal, literary and architectural contexts, this text examines lists and maps as memory aids, the transmission of knowledge and traditions from medieval to early modern times and the application of medieval notions of law and statecraft.

The relationship between the workings of memory and the formation of culture is intriguingly close in the world of medieval Islam. In this book, distinguished contributors explore broad-ranging themes relating to memory, memorisation, memorialising or commemorating in a variety of historical, legal, literary and architectural contexts. Abbas Amanat, Irene Bierman, Elton Daniel, George Makdisi, Andrew Newman, Roy Mottahedeh, Ismail K. Poonawala and Paul E. Walker examine lists and maps as memory aids, the transmission of knowledge and traditions from medieval to early-modern times, the application of medieval notions of law and statecraft and the commemoration of individuals, civilisations and dynasties in historical and literary works, on coinage and in monumental forms. This is a fascinatingly original perspective on a topic which will engage scholars of Islamic history and sociology, as well as cultural history and the history of ideas.