Salimovskaya Anastasia

The image of the caliph al-Mamun and its transformation in medieval christian-arabic literature

Abstract

This article analyzes the image of the famous Abbasid caliph al-Mamun (813-833) and its transformation in monuments of Christian-Arabic hagiographic literature and apologetics. In the description of «The Miracle of Theotokos in Atrib» it will be seen how the image of the Caliph could be modified even within one work from a relatively authentic image to the gradual perception of the ruler as a composite image. And in the arabic version of «The Life of St. Theodore of Edessa» the caliph is so idealized that it takes baptism. In the description of the disputation of Theodore Abu Qurra, Arab Orthodox bishop of Harran (ca. 750 — ca. 830) with Muslim thinkers, held at the court of the caliph al-Mamun, which we regard as an example of apologetic literature, the ruler is presented more realistically. And a careful reading of the unique prayer for the Muslim ruler attributed to Theodore Abu Qurra shows that, despite the rhetorical focus of the monument, it reflects some features of the historical image of al-Mamun. The texts in question are of interest as evidence of the popularity of the chosen caliph among Arab-Christian authors who attempted to create his positive image in texts of various genres. And the creation of such an image could take many forms, from soft in apologetic literature to more radical in hagiography.

Keywords

caliph al-Ma’mun, Christian-Arabic literature, hagiography, apologetics, Theodore Abu Qurra, court debate, The Miracle of Theotokos in Atrib, The Life of St. Theodore of Edessa

References

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Information about the author

Salimovskaya Anastasia

Student status: Master's Degree Student;
Place of study: St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University for the Humanities; 6/1 Likhov per., Moscow 127051, Russian Federation;
ORCID: 0000-0002-4547-5400;
Email: n.salik@live.com.

Acknowledgments

I express my deep gratitude to my academic advisor, Sofya Melikyan, for her valuable advice and assistance in the preparation of this publication.