Cities and Saints : Sufism and the Transformation of Urban Space in Medieval Anatolia Hardback
by Ethel Sara (University of New Hampshire) Wolper
Part of the Buildings, Landscapes, and Societies series
Hardback
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In recent years, Sufism has become all but synonymous with the mystic poetry of JalÄl al-DÄ«n RÅ«mÄ« (d. 1273) and the ritual "whirling" of dervishes from Turkey.
This branch of Islam does, however, have a long, complex history, and spiritual retreat was only one aspect of its significance.
In medieval Anatolia, Cities and Saints contends, Sufis made alliances that gave dervish lodges powers so vast that they were able to alter the layout of cities and serve as the means of forging new social bonds.
Through close examination of the design and function of medieval Sufi buildings in several Anatolian cities, Ethel Sara Wolper shows that dervish lodges became sites where a new ruling elite promoted the cult of Sufi saints.
Wolper's discussion, enriched by the use of a wide range of primary sources, goes on to chart the role Sufis and their patrons played in the establishment of a new urban order anchored in dervish lodges built near city gates, markets, and along major thoroughfares. Highly original, Cities and Saints unites architectural history with the study of urban space and the spread of Islam.
It will be an important reference for students of community formation in the Middle East as well as historians of art, architecture, and religion.
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Available to Order - This title is available to order, with delivery expected within 2 weeks
- Format:Hardback
- Pages:152 pages, 15 Maps; 27 Halftones, black and white
- Publisher:Pennsylvania State University Press
- Publication Date:02/12/2003
- Category:
- ISBN:9780271022567
Information
-
Available to Order - This title is available to order, with delivery expected within 2 weeks
- Format:Hardback
- Pages:152 pages, 15 Maps; 27 Halftones, black and white
- Publisher:Pennsylvania State University Press
- Publication Date:02/12/2003
- Category:
- ISBN:9780271022567