This module will offer an introduction to the history of women in medieval Islamic societies (600 - 1500 AD), through their experiences and representations in art and literature. We will aim at finding the boundaries that divided the worlds of women and men in the economic, legal and spiritual spheres. We will do so by looking at a variety of texts, including the Qur'an, Prophetic traditions, marriage contracts, travellers' accounts and the tales of the Arabian Nights. By comparing sources from diverse cultural perspectives, we will consider the development of a cultural, economic, legal, and spiritual female identity in the Middle Ages, and critically examine medieval and modern discourses on women and Islam.
