Fiction

Al-Qata’i: Ibn Tulun's Trilogy

by Reem Bassiouney

Description

The Ibn Tulun Trilogy is a stunning literary work that offers readers a fascinating glimpse into a significant period in the history of Egypt. ///This novel interweaves historical facts with a continuous narrative about Egypt, exploring how it was before and after the arrival of Ahmad Ibn Tulun. His independence and the construction of the city of Al-Qata’i, along with the establishment of a powerful army, are vividly portrayed. As the story progresses, readers learn of Ahmad Ibn Tulun’s death and his son’s reign, as well as the attempts to destroy his legacy and the fate of Al-Qata’i. ///Al-Qata’i is a story that explores the conflict between construction and destruction, the fickleness of fate, and the highs and lows of human existence. It tells of the meeting and parting of loved ones, the struggle between love and hate, oppression and justice, power and helplessness, and the ultimate triumph of victory and the agony of defeat.

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Rights Information

World rights available

Marketing Information

Shortlisted for the 2023 Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Literature. Funding is available for translation of all literary and children’s titles that have won or have been shortlisted for the Sheikh Zayed Book Award.

Author Biography

Dr. Reem Bassiouney is currently a professor and chair of the linguistics department at the American University in Cairo. She graduated from Alexandria University and obtained her master’s and PhD degrees from the University of Oxford. ///She has won numerous awards, including the State Award for Excellence in Literature for her overall literary works, the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature from the Supreme Council for Culture for her “Sons of the People: The Mamluk Trilogy”, as well as the Sawiris Cultural Award for her novel “Professor Hanaa,” and the Best Translated Book Award in America for “The Pistachio Seller” from the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies. ///Dr. Bassiouney has authored several novels, all of which have been published in multiple editions and translations. Her literary works include “The Smell of the Sea” (2005), “The Pistachio Seller” (2007), “Professor Hanaa” (2008), “Love on the Arabic Way” (2009), “Mortal Designs” (2010), “The Tour Guide” (2017), “Sons of the People: The Mamluk Trilogy” (2018), “Fountain of the Drowning: The Path of Land and Sea” (2020), “Al-Qata’i: Ibn Tulun’s City Without Walls” (2021), and “Al-Halawani: The Trilogy of the Fatimids” (2023).

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Sheikh Zayed Book Award

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Bibliographic Information

  • Publisher Nahdet Misr Publishing
  • Publication Date 2022
  • Orginal LanguageArabic
  • ISBN/Identifier 9789771460411
  • Pages704
  • ReadershipGeneral
  • Publish StatusPublished
  • Original Language TitleAl-Qata’i: Thoulatheyat Ibn Tulun

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