We welcome back Prof Nasser Rabbat to discuss his latest book "Writing Egypt: Al-Maqrizi and His Historical Project," which focuses on the 14th-century historian labeled as Egypt's greatest historian. The director of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT outlines the journey and reasons behind his lengthy process of writing the book, the life and works of Al-Maqrizi, his significance in chronicling Egypt's history, and his unique subjective approach to historiography. We also delve into Al-Maqrizi's relationship with the famous sociologist Ibn Khaldun and the socio-political context of Egypt during the Mamluk period. The episode explores themes of patriotism, scholarly dedication, and the historical narrative of the Arab world.
We welcome back Prof Nasser Rabbat to discuss his latest book "Writing Egypt: Al-Maqrizi and His Historical Project," which focuses on the 14th-century historian labeled as Egypt's greatest historian. The director of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT outlines the journey and reasons behind his lengthy process of writing the book, the life and works of Al-Maqrizi, his significance in chronicling Egypt's history, and his unique subjective approach to historiography. We also delve into Al-Maqrizi's relationship with the famous sociologist Ibn Khaldun and the socio-political context of Egypt during the Mamluk period. The episode explores themes of patriotism, scholarly dedication, and the historical narrative of the Arab world.
00:00 Introduction
01:01 Discussing Rabbat's New Book "Writing Egypt: Al-Maqrizi and His Historical Project"
05:16 The Life and Times of Al-Maqrizi
17:17 Al-Maqrizi's Historical Contributions
20:02 The Mamluk Era and Its Impact on Scholarship
26:52 Al-Maqrizi's Legacy and Influence
38:40 Al-Maqrizi's Relationship with Ibn Khaldun
41:54 The End of History and Ibn Khaldun's Influence
43:00 Ibn Khaldun's Theory and Its Application
44:33 Al-Maqrizi's Background and Scholarly Life
47:43 Humor in Historical Writings
49:24 Egyptian Identity and Nationalism
53:09 Al-Maqrizi's Love for Egypt
55:30 Modern Interpretations of Al-Maqrizi
01:10:21 Egyptian Nationalism in the 20th Century
01:19:01 Future Works
Nasser Rabbat is the Aga Khan Professor and the Director of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT. His interests include Islamic architecture, urban history, Arab history, contemporary Arab art, heritage studies, and post-colonial criticism. He has published numerous articles and several books on topics ranging from Mamluk architecture to Antique Syria, to urbicide, such as "Imarat al-Mudun al-Mayyita" (The Architecture of the Dead Cities) (2018); and online book, "The Destruction of Cultural Heritage: From Napoléon to ISIS," co-edited with Pamela Karimi (2016). Rabbat held several academic and research appointments in Cambridge MA, Princeton, Los Angeles, Cairo, Granada, Rome, Paris, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Munich, and Bonn.
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