| ID | 163250 |
| Title Proper | Dawn of Arab printing |
| Other Title Information | a view from the fringe, in memory of Bernard Lewis: mentor, friend, gentleman |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Ayalon, Ami |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The adoption of printing in the Ottoman Arab provinces in the nineteenth century portended a cultural transformation with profound implications, known as the nahda. Focusing on the Syrian town of Tripoli (Tarabulus al-Sham) as a case study, the article examines the historic cultural change from a peripheral vantage point. It looks at the impact of Arab printing and publishing, which evolved primarily in Cairo, Alexandria, and Beirut, on a community on the fringe of cultural change and examines its cultural interrelationship with these centers. Its findings show that, more than acting as mere consumers of print, Tripoli residents in substantial numbers took an active part in the discourse on social and cultural dilemmas which printing facilitated across the region, before adopting similar novelties in their own town toward the end of the century. The probe casts light on the manifold process by which printing, its products, and its diffusion mechanisms spread throughout the region. As printing was a key channel for circulating news and views, the study also affords a credible notion of the role that communities away from the production epicenters played in the nahda. |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of Middle East and Africa Vol. 9, No.3; Jul-Sep 2018: p.259-274 |
| Journal Source | Journal of Middle East and Africa Vol: 9 No 3 |
| Key Words | Publishing ; Arabic ; Tripoli ; Nahda ; Printing |