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AL-NABULSI: A MYSTICAL TRAVELER IN OTTOMAN JERUSALEM

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NOTE: The following article is taken from the Introduction written by Giuditta Andrei for the translated work Journey to Jerusalem by Abdul Ghani al-Nabulsi. All Rights Reserved.   At the Entrance to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem  by Gustav Bauernfeind (1848–1904) Abd al-Ghani ibn Ismail ibn Abd al-Ghani ibn Ismail ibn Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Nabulsi al-Dimashqi al-Omari al-Hanafi al-Naqshbandi al-Qadri - more commonly known as Al-Nabulsi - was born in Damascus, Syria, in 1641. He was the son of Ismail ibn Abd al-Ghani, a teacher at Damascus’s most prominent mosque, the Umayyad Mosque, who also served as a judge ( qadi ) in Sidon. Renowned as the preeminent scholar of his time, his father was an expert in Islamic jurisprudence ( fiqh ), possessed a deep knowledge of the literature in this field, collected numerous texts for the sake of scholarship, and - notably - traveled to various cities across the Ottoman Empire for the purpose of trade. His mother, Zainab bint Sheikh Muhamm...

AL-NABULSI: UN VIAGGIATORE MISTICO NELLA GERUSALEMME OTTOMANA

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NOTA: Il seguente articolo è tratto dall 'Introduzione scritta da Giuditta Andrei all'opera tradotta Viaggio a Gerusalemme di Abdul Ghani al-Nabulsi. Tutti i Diritti Riservati All'Entrata del Monte del Tempio, Gerusalemme di Gustav Bauernfeind (1848-1904) Abd al-Ghani ibn Ismail ibn Abd al-Ghani ibn Ismail ibn Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Nabulsi al-Dimashqi al-Omari al-Hanafi al Naqshbandi al-Qadri, più comunemente noto come Al-Nabulsi, nacque a Damasco, in Siria, nel 1641. Egli era figlio di Ismail ibn Abd al-Ghani, insegnante presso la moschea più importante di Damasco, ovvero la Moschea degli Omayyadi, nonché giudice ( Qadi ) a Sidone. Noto in particolar modo come il migliore studioso del suo tempo, suo padre era esperto nella giurisprudenza islamica ( Fiqh ), conosceva ogni libro della materia, collezionava molti testi per il bene della conoscenza e, non per ultimo, si spostava per commerciare in varie città dell’Impero Ottomano a quell’epoca. Sua madre invece, era nota come Z...

BAGHDAD: CROSSROAD OF AN ANCIENT GLORY

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The Arabs found themselves in possession of a glory and prosperity that had never been the lot of anyone else. Ibn Khaldun Baghdad in the 10th century had at least 800,000 inhabitants and was, after Constantinople, the largest city in the world. Its palaces, mosques, schools and public buildings were the wonder of the world. In our days, mentioning Iraq is often associated with violence and the context of war due to recent events. Modern Iraq corresponds to where historical Mesopotamia once stood, recognised as the cradle of civilisation, whose rich and complex history has influenced and shaped the whole of humanity since the Iron Age. We think that in Mesopotamia the first forms of writing were discovered, the first written law, the first wheel, the first boat as a means of transport, the oldest map dated 2300 BC, the concept of urbanization, the concept of time according to astronomical calculations, astrology, mathematics and the counting system. But today we will talk about the cit...

TÁNGER: EL PUERTO DE LOS IMPERIOS

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  En el norte de Marruecos, en la costa donde convergen las aguas del Mediterráneo y el Atlántico, se encuentra Tánger, una de las principales ciudades portuarias del reino, con casi un millón de habitantes. Tánger es una de las ciudades más importantes del Mediterráneo, ya que constituye el nudo de comunicaciones que conecta los continentes africano y europeo. Antiguamente, la ciudad se conocía como Tinka, Tikka o Tinkis, que en lengua bereber significa "el lugar alto/elevado". Pocas ciudades tienen una historia tan variada como Tánger; una ciudad donde la historia, la mitología y las leyendas se entrelazan. Una leyenda oral que circula entre algunos residentes cuenta que, tras el Diluvio Universal, el Arca de Noé se extravió en el mar. Un día, mientras buscaban tierra firme, una paloma se posó sobre el barco con barro en las patas. Los pasajeros gritaron " ¡Mud Jà, Mud Jà! ", indicando que estaban cerca de tierra firme. Así, la tierra donde aterrizó el barco rec...