Medieval Andalusian Courtly Culture in the Mediterranean

Medieval Andalusian Courtly Culture discusses the unicum manuscript of the Hadîth Bayâd wa Riyâd, the only illustrated manuscript known to have survived for more than eight centuries of Muslim and Arabic-speaking presence in present-day Spain. The manuscript is of paramount importance as it contains the only known surviving version, both in terms of text and of image, of the love story of Bayâd wa Riyâd. This study will place this manuscript within the context of late medieval Mediterranean courtly culture, offering: - an annotated translation into English of the entire text - reproductions of its images - an analysis of both text and images in a series of progressively broader contexts including that of al-Andalus(Arabic-speaking); of "reconquista" Iberia; and the larger Mediterranean world. Cynthia Robinson broadens understanding of the Mediterranean region during the Middle Ages, making this text an invaluable resource for scholars with interests in Medieval Spain, art and Mediterranean courtly culture.

Introduction 1. Translation 2. Love Localized and Science from Afar: The Image Program of the Hadîth Bayâd wa Riyâd 3. Alfonso, the Almohads and the 'Ajouz: The Hadîth Bayâd wa Riyâd, Courtliness and Culture in Thirteenth-Century Iberia 4. Wandering in Babylon: The Hadîth Bayâd wa Riyâd and the roman idyllique Bibliography Index