Maqāmat al-Naṣr fī Manāqīb Imām al-ʿAṣr

By (author) Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-Zamlakānī Edited by Yehoshua Frenkel

Book cover: Maqāmat al-Naṣr fī Manāqīb Imām al-ʿAṣr

Extent: 205 pages

Publisher: V&R unipress

Subjects: Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies, Medieval Studies

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(November 2022)

ISBN: 9783847114574

6.3 x 9.33 inches

Price: $62.00

In stock

A unique Mamluk manuscript tells the story of a Damascene jurist. Ibn al-Zamlakani composed a maqama that narrate the imprisonment of his master, the great judge Taj al-Din al-Subki and his return to power (in 758/1359).


A unique Mamluk manuscript tells the story of a Damascene jurist. Ibn al-Zamlakani’s story revolves around a dramatic episode in the life of his master, the great judge Taj al-Din al-Subki, who is the central figure (hero) of the tale. The composer justly names his document maqamah. In rhyming prose, it narrates several episodes. Transmitted by a narrator (or at least his voice), who distance himself from the event, it is a story about an escape from hardship of a hero who is supported by good characters and face some evil enemies. Yet, it is not a biography, but a dramatic plot that transmits a moral lesson. The maqamah illuminates the relations between the Mamluk ruling military aristocracy and the religious establishment, as well as the competition that divided the Damascene urban elite.

  • By (author) Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-Zamlakānī
  • Edited by Yehoshua Frenkel