1st Edition

Medicine and Religion in the Life of an Ottoman Sheikh Al-Damanhuri’s "Clear Statement" on Anatomy

By Ahmed Ragab Copyright 2019
240 Pages
by Routledge

240 Pages
by Routledge

240 Pages
by Routledge

In 1768, Aḥmad al-Damanhūrī became the rector (shaykh) of al-Azhar, which was one of the most authoritative and respected positions in the Ottoman Empire. He occupied this position until his death. Despite being a prolific author, whose writings are largely extant, al-Damanhūrī remains almost unknown, and much of his work awaits study and analysis. This book aims to shed light on al-Damanhūrī’s... Read more

Introduction  Part I: The study of al-Damanhūrī’s life and career  1 Al-Damanhūrī: the life of a scholar  2 The Education of Ahmad al-Damanhūrī  3 Medicine and Religion in al-Damanhūrī’s Clear Statement;  Postscript Al-Damanhūrī in Anticipation: Writing Postcolonially  Part II: The Clear Statement—a translation;  A note on translation;  The Clear Statement—Translation

Biography

Ahmed Ragab is Richard T. Watson Associate Professor of Science and Religion, Affiliate Associate Professor at the Department of the History of Science, and Director of the Science, Religion and Culture program at Harvard University, USA. He is a physician, a historian of science and medicine, and a scholar of science and religion.

Medicine and Religion in the Life of an Ottoman Sheikh is a brilliant work. This book is a much-needed contribution to the history of medicine and intellectual life in the late Ottoman Empire. The translation is elegant and finely wrought and the accompanying chapters bring to life the intellectual milieu of Shaykh Ahmad al-Damanhuri, one of the most significant intellectuals of late Ottoman Egypt.’ – Jennifer L. Derr, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA