The Book in Mamluk Egypt and Syria (1250-1517): Scribes, Libraries, and Markets

Contents: 

• The legacy
• The classical heritage
• The Fatimid and Ayyubid legacies
• Mamluk libraries
• Patronage of the Mamluk book
• A palace library?
• The libraries of religious institutions
• The librarians in religious institutions
• Private libraries and endowments
• Book circulation and storage
• Borrowing practices
• The size of libraries
• The size of books
• The physical setting
• The market
• Location and environment
• Dealers and publishers
• Value, prices, and fees
• The Mamluk scribe : background and formation
• Terminology and definition
• Writing and copying
• From oral to written books and back
• Books from the barracks
• The Mamluk master calligraphers
• The art and practice of calligraphy
• Teaching writing and calligraphy
• The social and cultural contexts
• Calligraphers and craftsmen
• Calligraphers and the aristocracy
• The chain of Mamluk calligraphers
• The Syrian school
• The Egyptian school