Early Modern Dialogue with Islam
eBook - PDF

Early Modern Dialogue with Islam

Antonio de Sosa's Topography of Algiers (1612)

  1. 536 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Early Modern Dialogue with Islam

Antonio de Sosa's Topography of Algiers (1612)

About this book

An Early Modern Dialogue with Islam: Antonio de Sosa'sTopography of Algiers (1612) makes available in translation a riveting sixteenth-century chronicle of European and North African cultural contacts that is virtually unknown to English-speaking readers. The Topography was written by a Portuguese cleric, Doctor Antonio de Sosa, who was captured by Algerian corsairs in 1577 and held as a Barbary slave for over four years while awaiting ransom. Sosa's work is a fascinating description of a city at the crossroads of civilizations, with a sophisticated multilingual population of Turks, Arabs, Moriscos, Berbers, Jews, Christian captives, and converts to Islam from across the world.

In the Topography of Algiers, Sosa meticulously describes the inhabitants' daily lives; their fashions, pastimes, feasts, and funerals; their government; the landmarks of the city itself; and much more. Readers will be struck by the vibrancy of his narrative, rendered into English with crisp accuracy by Diana de Armas Wilson. The Topography is a treasure trove of amazing customs, startling behavior, and historical anecdotes that will enthrall readers. The extensive introduction by María Antonia Garcés is a superb archival study of the Mediterranean world described by the Topography, as well as an exposé of the adventurous, even scandalous, life of its author. The introduction also discusses the fraudulent publication of Sosa's Topography under another man's name.

Sosa's chronicle stands out for its complexity, vitality, and the sharpness of the author's ethnographic vision. No other account of captivity in this period offers such a detailed and dynamic tableau of Algerian society at the end of the sixteenth century.

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Yes, you can access Early Modern Dialogue with Islam by Dr. Antonio de Sosa, María Antonia Garcés, Diana de Armas Wilson in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Theology & Religion & Christian Denominations. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half title
  3. Series page
  4. Title page
  5. Copyright
  6. Dedication
  7. Contents
  8. Illustrations
  9. Transliteration and Translation
  10. Note from the Translator
  11. Acknowledgments
  12. Introduction
  13. Preliminary Materials
  14. Chapter 1: The Founding of Algiers
  15. Chapter 2: Why the City Is Called Algiers
  16. Chapter 3: Algiers as a Muslim Kingdom
  17. Chapter 4: How Algiers Came under the Turks
  18. Chapter 5: The Ramparts of Algiers
  19. Chapter 6: The Gates of Algiers
  20. Chapter 7: The Fortifications of Algiers
  21. Chapter 8: The Moat of Algiers
  22. Chapter 9: The Castles and Forts outside Algiers
  23. Chapter 10: The Houses and Streets of Algiers
  24. Chapter 11: The Inhabitants and Neighbors of Algiers
  25. Chapter 12: Turks
  26. Chapter 13: Renegades
  27. Chapter 14: Ka’ids
  28. Chapter 15: Sipahi
  29. Chapter 16: Janissaries
  30. Chapter 17: Agha of the Janissaries
  31. Chapter 18: Ranks of the Janissaries
  32. Chapter 19: Customs of the Janissaries at War
  33. Chapter 20: Customs of the Janissaries in Peacetime
  34. Chapter 21: Customs of the Algerian Corsairs
  35. Chapter 22: Catalogue of Corsairs
  36. Chapter 23: Corsairs with Frigates
  37. Chapter 24: Algerian Merchants
  38. Chapter 25: Algerian Laborers and Artisans
  39. Chapter 26: Algerian Fashions
  40. Chapter 27: The Marabouts of Algiers
  41. Chapter 28: The Jews of Algiers
  42. Chapter 29: Languages and Currencies
  43. Chapter 30: Marriage Ceremonies
  44. Chapter 31: Childbirth and Child Rearing
  45. Chapter 32: Algerian Women’s Fashions
  46. Chapter 33: Women’s Pastimes, Home Decorating, and Cooking
  47. Chapter 34: Islamic Feast Days and Festivals in Algiers
  48. Chapter 35: A Miscellany of Muslim Customs in Algiers
  49. Chapter 36: Algerian Vices
  50. Chapter 37: Algerian Virtues
  51. Chapter 38: Death and Burial in Algiers
  52. Chapter 39: Algerian Buildings and Fountains
  53. Chapter 40: The Natural Beauty of Algiers
  54. Chapter 41: The Government of Algiers
  55. Abbreviations
  56. Glossary
  57. Notes
  58. Archival Sources
  59. Bibliography
  60. Index