paper Mamlouk Jerusalem in the Eyes of Latin Pilgrims

Abstract

We deal in this paper with how the jerusalemite fifteenth century muslim is seen by the latin christian stranger. Our main source is the book of Hilda Frances Margaret Prescott (1896-1972), Jerusalem Journey, Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the Fifteenth Century, ed. by Eyre and Spottiswoode, London, 1954 and translated into french by Thomas la Brévine, Artaud, 1959. M. Prescott mainly reports the testimony of father Felix Fabry on mamlouk Jerusalem, based on his Fratris Felicis Fabri Evagatorium.

The travel litterature is highly important in cultural studies. It contains direct testimonies, those that the author picks directly up from what he sees and hears. Scenes of the daily life are then plainly exposed, in Fifteenth century Jerusalem for instance, those that classical historians neglect most of the time. That subjectivity, as well as that apparent disorder, are welcomed here, where personal perceptions are mingled out with narrative obligations.

Several anthropological considerations come out from this study, owing to wary, attentive and curious pilgims. We got interesting passages on mamlouk Jerusalem men and women, on the way they talk, eat or dress, on markets, houses and mosques. We got even original passages on arabic language and some of the way it is uttered and spoken. All that makes the self/other topic gain a constant intrest among specialists, within specialized academic fields.