The Sheltered Quarter: A Tale of a Boyhood in Mecca (Modern Middle Eastern Literature in Translation Series)

The Sheltered Quarter: A Tale of a Boyhood in Mecca (Modern Middle Eastern Literature in Translation Series)

by HamzaBogary (Author)

Synopsis

Hamza Bogary describes a bygone way of life that has now irreversibly disappeared. He speaks of life in Mecca before the advent of oil. Only partly autobiographical, the memoir is nevertheless rich in remembered detail based on Bogary's early observations of life in Mecca. He has transformed his knowledge into art through his sense of humor, empathy, and remarkable understanding of human nature. This work not only entertains; it also informs its readers about the Arabia of the first half of the twentieth century in a graphic and fascinating way. The narrator, young Muhaisin, deals with various aspects of Arabian culture, including education, pilgrimages, styles of clothing, slavery, public executions, the status of women, and religion. Muhaisin is frank in his language and vivid in his humor. The reader quickly comes to love the charming and mischievous boy in this universal tale.

$23.33

Quantity

20+ in stock

More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 141
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Published: 30 May 2001

ISBN 10: 0292727526
ISBN 13: 9780292727526

Author Bio
Hamza Bogary was born in Mecca in 1932. As an adult, he worked in broadcasting and eventually became deputy minister of information in Saudi Arabia. He wrote and published many stories and essays in Arabic. Saqifat al-Safa, the original of The Sheltered Quarter, was Bogary's last tribute to his own culture and to Arabic literature before his death in 1984.