1st Edition

A Glimpse at the Travelogues of Baghdad

By Iman Al-Attar Copyright 2023
124 Pages 19 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

124 Pages 19 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

124 Pages 19 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

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... Read more

Contents

Illustrations v

Introduction 1

Author’s note 4

  1. The context of travel writing 5
  2. Baghdad and the Ottoman Empire 9
  3. 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

  4. Travelogues and history Representation 29
  5. Travelogues methods and attitudes 29

    Travelogues and Orientalism 33

    Travelogues and Islamic studies 36

    Travelogues and heritage understanding 43

  6. Diverse travelers before the 18th Century 46
  7. Regional travelers 46

    European travelers 50

  8. Europeans Involvement in the 18th Century 53
  9. Mapping Efforts of Carsten Niebuhr 54

    The Novels of Guillaume Antoine Olivier 60

  10. British Intervention Intensifies 66
  11. 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

  12. Summary 94

Endnotes 98

Bibliography

Index

Biography

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.