This novel brings to life the rise and fall of the ninth-century Egyptian capital founded by the ambitious governor-turned-ruler Ahmad Ibn Tulun. Blending historical detail with vivid storytelling, Bassiouney explores the city’s architecture, politics, and cultural legacy.
Publisher’s Overview:
Brimming with intrigue, adventure, and romance, Al-Qata’i: Ibn Tulun’s City Without Walls tells the epic story of visionary Egyptian leader Ahmad Ibn Tulun who built Al-Qata’i (now Cairo) into a thriving multicultural empire.
The novel begins with the rediscovery of the Ibn Tulun Mosque in 1918 and recounts Ibn Tulun’s life and legacy in the ninth and tenth centuries. Bassiouney presents Ibn Tulun’s benevolent vision to unify all Egyptians in a new city, Al-Qata’i. He becomes so focused on his vision, however, that he cannot see the impact it has on his family or the fate of Egypt. When a betrayal leads to his demise, the rival Abbasid caliph threatens to regain control of Al-Qata’i. In the aftermath of Ibn Tulun’s death, his daughter Aisha emerges as a pivotal figure, bravely taking a stand against the Abbasids to preserve her life, the city, and the iconic mosque.
This contemporary Egyptian writer forces us to consider universal themes, such as diversity and equality, through both a historical and intercultural lens that enriches our understanding of these issues in our world today.
Who is this book for?
This historical novel will appeal to readers wanting to explore the medieval Middle East, especially its urban life. Historians who want to get a taste of this world will find it to be a good introduction.
“Reem Bassiouney is a contemporary and gifted Egyptian author that has his enthralled readers considering such universal themes as diversity and equality as viewed through historical and intercultural lenses that make his historical work of fiction one that will enrich his reader’s understanding of these same issues as are presented in the contemporary world of today.” ~ review from the Midwest Book Review
The Author
Reem Bassiouney is a professor of sociolinguistics at The American University in Cairo. She has also written several historical fiction novels. In an interview she explains: “I write about human struggles. In the historical context what interests me is that there are a lot of challenges — wars, famines, pandemics, cities are built and then destroyed. I am interested first and foremost in the human experience. This experience surpasses history and place. But history provides a rich framework for me to build my storylines. Histories are full of love, hate, jealousy, heroes and villains. There is a lot to pick and choose from and then rebuild your own narrative.”
Al-Qata’i: Ibn Tulun’s City Without Walls
By Reem Bassiouney
Translated by Roger Allen
Georgetown University Press
ISBN:9781647122874
This novel brings to life the rise and fall of the ninth-century Egyptian capital founded by the ambitious governor-turned-ruler Ahmad Ibn Tulun. Blending historical detail with vivid storytelling, Bassiouney explores the city’s architecture, politics, and cultural legacy.
Publisher’s Overview:
Brimming with intrigue, adventure, and romance, Al-Qata’i: Ibn Tulun’s City Without Walls tells the epic story of visionary Egyptian leader Ahmad Ibn Tulun who built Al-Qata’i (now Cairo) into a thriving multicultural empire.
The novel begins with the rediscovery of the Ibn Tulun Mosque in 1918 and recounts Ibn Tulun’s life and legacy in the ninth and tenth centuries. Bassiouney presents Ibn Tulun’s benevolent vision to unify all Egyptians in a new city, Al-Qata’i. He becomes so focused on his vision, however, that he cannot see the impact it has on his family or the fate of Egypt. When a betrayal leads to his demise, the rival Abbasid caliph threatens to regain control of Al-Qata’i. In the aftermath of Ibn Tulun’s death, his daughter Aisha emerges as a pivotal figure, bravely taking a stand against the Abbasids to preserve her life, the city, and the iconic mosque.
This contemporary Egyptian writer forces us to consider universal themes, such as diversity and equality, through both a historical and intercultural lens that enriches our understanding of these issues in our world today.
Who is this book for?
This historical novel will appeal to readers wanting to explore the medieval Middle East, especially its urban life. Historians who want to get a taste of this world will find it to be a good introduction.
“Reem Bassiouney is a contemporary and gifted Egyptian author that has his enthralled readers considering such universal themes as diversity and equality as viewed through historical and intercultural lenses that make his historical work of fiction one that will enrich his reader’s understanding of these same issues as are presented in the contemporary world of today.” ~ review from the Midwest Book Review
The Author
Reem Bassiouney is a professor of sociolinguistics at The American University in Cairo. She has also written several historical fiction novels. In an interview she explains: “I write about human struggles. In the historical context what interests me is that there are a lot of challenges — wars, famines, pandemics, cities are built and then destroyed. I am interested first and foremost in the human experience. This experience surpasses history and place. But history provides a rich framework for me to build my storylines. Histories are full of love, hate, jealousy, heroes and villains. There is a lot to pick and choose from and then rebuild your own narrative.”
To learn more about this book, please visit the publisher’s website
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