Arabic poetry has been central to Arabic culture for millennia. Early Arabic poetry before Islam was not narrowly tribal, but engaged with ancient Egyptian, Persian, and Greek ideas. Christianity, which was prevalent in Arabia before Islam, figured importantly in early Arabic poetry. In the enormous, cosmopolitan civilization of the Abbasid caliphate, Arabic poetic fluency played a crucial role in determining a person’s social status.
Elite men in Abbasid Baghdad were cautious in engaging with singing slave girls (qiyān) professionally associated with sexual affairs. … Read the post trade slogans of Abbasid singing slave girls (qiyān) goaded men
Nāsir al-Dīn al-Tūsī’s The Sultan’s Potions exemplifies men’s sexual responsibility to engage in back-breaking erection labor using arduous recipes. … Read the post preparing men for erection labor in the 13th-century Islamic world
For her amazingly loyal and passionate love for caliph a-Mutawakkill, the slave girl Mahbubah deserves to be remembered and celebrated. … Read the post love poetry of slave girl Mahbubah for her owner caliph al-Mutawakkil
In ancient Greek poetry and classical Arabic poetry, chivalry meant expertise and experience in having sex with women. … Read the post original understanding of chivalry retained in ancient poetry
The slave girl Bid’ah was beautiful and an excellent singer. Most importantly, she knew how to lift up a despondent caliph. … Read the post slave girl Bid’ah lifted up despondent caliph al-Mu’tadid