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The Pasha’s New Clothes: The History Section of an 18th-Century Library from Acre – Lecture by Prof. Dana Sajdi (Boston College)

April 17, 2023 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Flyer for "The Pasha's New Clothes: The History Section of an 18th-Century Library from Acre" on April 17 from 4-6PM in HSSB 4080

This is an exploration of the history booklist found in a recently discovered ‘library catalogue’ from a college in 18th-century Acre. Endowed by the notorious Ottoman governor of the region Ahmad Pasha al-Jazzar (d. 1804), the library seems to have been one of the largest in the Ottoman Levant. In addition to introducing the larger ‘al-Jazzar Library Project’, I will argue that the eclectic nature of the history collection exceeds the purposes of a college curriculum or the needs of local readers. Despite their variety, the books were carefully chosen and cUrated to reflect the colorful career of the patron himself and to construct a heroic and royal image of him resembling that of imperial rulers. This is a vanity collection that the Pasha used to display his new clothes.

This event is organized by the King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud Chair in Islamic Studies.

Details

Date:
April 17, 2023
Time:
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Event Category:
Event Tags:
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Organizers

Department of History
Center for Middle East Studies
King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud Chair in Islamic Studies

Venue

HSSB 4080
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, 93106 United States
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