Books by Rifa'a Rafi' al-Tahtawi
An Imam in Paris
by Rifa'a Rafi' al-Tahtawi & translated and introduced by Daniel L Newman
Al-Tahtawi was a very insightful observer, who presents us with a pretty unique example of an Arab or Muslim traveller describing the manners and customs of an exotic people: in this case the French. And he’s the first person to introduce the idea of a newspaper to the Arab world. The book was a bestseller from the moment it was published in Arabic. It was instantly translated into Turkish, so it reached the Ottoman world at large, and really is more responsible than any other book for setting reformist debates in Ottoman and Arab society.
Interviews where books by Rifa'a Rafi' al-Tahtawi were recommended
The best books on The Arabs, recommended by Eugene Rogan
Eugene Rogan is Director of the Middle East Centre at Oxford University. His research focuses on the social and economic history of the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire and the Arab states in the 20th century.
