Classical Islamic Literature and Civilization

A survey of the rich cultural legacy of Islamic civilization from the 7th to 15thcenturies CE, a time of intense literary activity and intellectual inquiry in the Middle East, through close readings of scripture, literary texts, and scholarly works.Topics to be covered include the revelation of the Qur'n and development of Islamic religious sciences, ethnic and religious identity in the medieval Middle East, court culture and literature under the Abbasid caliphs, Persian identity and literature, theories of historiography, and the development of Sufi mysticism.

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