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Bones of Contention

Muslim Shrines in Palestine

  • Book
  • © 2018

Overview

Authors:
  1. Andrew Petersen

    1. University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Ceredigion, UK

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  • Considers Muslim shrines within the wider context of Heritage Studies in the Muslim world
  • Highlights the importance of Muslim shrines and their highly publicised destruction by the self-styled Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria
  • Examines the shrines’ unique social function within a region of changing political configurations

Part of the book series: Heritage Studies in the Muslim World (HSMW)

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvi
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  2. Introduction

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. Introduction: Definitions, History and Context

      • Andrew Petersen
      Pages 3-11

    3. Arabic and Muslim Historiography

      • Andrew Petersen
      Pages 13-25

    4. Muslim Shrines in European Descriptions of Palestine

      • Andrew Petersen
      Pages 27-43

  3. Types of Shrines

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 45-45
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    2. Shrines Sponsored by Sultans

      • Andrew Petersen
      Pages 47-64

    3. Major Sufi Shrines

      • Andrew Petersen
      Pages 65-83

    4. Shaykh’s Tombs

      • Andrew Petersen
      Pages 85-106

    5. Shiʿa, Druze and Bahai Shrines

      • Andrew Petersen
      Pages 107-119

  4. Shrines in the Contemporary World

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 121-121
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    2. Destruction, Neglect and Appropriation: The Demise of Muslim Shrines

      • Andrew Petersen
      Pages 123-140

    3. Heritage and Conservation

      • Andrew Petersen
      Pages 141-152

    4. Conclusions

      • Andrew Petersen
      Pages 153-163

  5. Back Matter

    Pages 165-188
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Keywords

About this book

This pivot sets Muslim shrines within the wider context of Heritage Studies in the Muslim world and considers their role in the articulation of sacred landscapes, their function as sites of cultural memory and their links to different religious traditions. Reviewing the historiography of Muslim shrines paying attention to the different ways these places have been studied, through anthropology, archaeology, history, and religious studies, the text discusses the historical and archaeological evidence for the development of shrines  in the region from pre-Islamic times up to the present day. It also assesses the significance of Muslim shrines in the modern Middle East, focusing on the diverse range of opinions and treatments from veneration to destruction, and argues that shrines have a unique social function as a means of direct contact with the past in a region where changing political configurations have often distorted conventional historical narratives.

Reviews

“Bones of Contention is a concise and useful introduction to a topic that stretches from the pre-Islamic period to the present and catalogs a diverse range of religious structures. … Bones of Contention is designed to appeal to a wide audience. It includes sketches of major shrines and photos of extant ones. It is a valuable contribution that will be of interest to students and scholars of Palestine’s Islamic culture and architecture.” (Awad Halabi, Journal of Palestine Studies, 2019) “… an impressive and original example of archaeologically-based historical interpretation of Islamic heritage! It is written in a style marked by a consistent and brilliant clarity. It is a “must buy” for anyone interested in a critical understanding of the religious history of Palestine.” (Thomas Thompson,  Professor Emeritus, University of Copenhagen, Denmark)

“Andrew Petersen’s new monograph ‘Bones of Contention’: Muslim Shrines in Palestine is an important contribution to the field of study and understanding of the historical and cultural context of Muslim shrines in the Middle East. With a focus on Palestine, the author seeks to highlight a number of important aspects relating to shrines, including historic Muslim mausoleums that have survived into the present day. Some of these are large structures such as Sidna Ali, a shrine on the coast sponsored by Baybars, while others are smaller, and Petersen expertly provides readers with examples of both. The author expertly traces not only history but also the changing status of these shrines from their origins, sometimes as non-Muslim buildings, through to the present where many are threatened with decay or by the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. “ (Seth J. Frantzman, research associate, the Rubin Center for Research in International Affairs, IDC Herzliya, Israel)

Authors and Affiliations

  • University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Ceredigion, UK

    Andrew Petersen

About the author

Andrew Petersen is Director of Research Islamic Archaeology and Professor of Islamic Archaeology at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. He has travelled extensively in the Islamic world working on archaeological expeditions and later directing projects, and has written a large number of articles and published four books based on his research.  He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and Member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeology.


Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Bones of Contention

  • Book Subtitle: Muslim Shrines in Palestine

  • Authors: Andrew Petersen

  • Series Title: Heritage Studies in the Muslim World

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6965-9

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Singapore

  • eBook Packages: Social Sciences, Social Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-981-10-6964-2Published: 14 December 2017

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-981-13-4975-1Published: 08 January 2019

  • eBook ISBN: 978-981-10-6965-9Published: 29 November 2017

  • Series ISSN: 2662-7906

  • Series E-ISSN: 2662-7914

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVI, 188

  • Topics: Architectural History and Theory, Islamic Theology, Archaeology

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