The Arab Renaissance

Explores the 19th-century Arabic cultural renaissance known as the Nahda. Topics include intellectual encounters between Europe and the Middle East, the birth of the Arabic novel, and the rise of Islamic modernism. We will read selections from the works of Shidyaq, Tahtawi, Zaydan, Shawqi, Bustani, and others, alongside historiographical and theoretical texts. At least three years of Arabic required.