The Performing Arts in Medieval Islam

This is a study of the life and work of Ibn D niy l (d. 1310), a Cairo-based eye doctor, poet, playwright, court jester, and arguably one of the most controversial cultural figures of his time. Drawing on medieval Arabic sources, many still in manuscriptand some used for the first time, the author further contextualizes Ibn D niy l 's work with respect to poetry production and popular culture in the Islamic Near East in the post-Mongol period. The book also presents the first full English translation ofThe Phantom, one of Ibn D niy l 's three shadow plays, the only surviving pre-Ottoman Arabic theatrical texts. -- Back cover.