Early Modern Dialogue with Islam: Antonio de Sosa's Topography of Algiers (1612) (History, Languages, and Cultures of the Spanish and Portuguese Worlds)

An Early Modern Dialogue with Islam: Antonio de Sosa’s Topography of Algiers (1612) makes available in translation a riveting sixteenth-century chronicle of European and North African cultural contacts that is virtually unknown to English-speaking readers. The Topography was written by a Portuguese cleric, Doctor Antonio de Sosa, who was captured by Algerian corsairs in 1577 and held as a Barbary slave for over four years while awaiting ransom. Sosa's work is a fascinating description of a city at the crossroads of civilizations, with a sophisticated multilingual population of Turks, Arabs, Moriscos, Berbers, Jews, Christian captives, and converts to Islam from across the world. In the Topography of Algiers , Sosa meticulously describes the inhabitants' daily lives; their fashions, pastimes, feasts, and funerals; their government; the landmarks of the city itself; and much more. Readers will be struck by the vibrancy of his narrative, rendered into English with crisp accuracy by Diana de Armas Wilson. The Topography is a treasure trove of amazing customs, startling behavior, and historical anecdotes that will enthrall readers. The extensive introduction by María Antonia Garcés is a superb archival study of the Mediterranean world described by the Topography , as well as an exposé of the adventurous, even scandalous, life of its author. The introduction also discusses the fraudulent publication of Sosa’s Topography under another man’s name. Sosa's chronicle stands out for its complexity, vitality, and the sharpness of the author's ethnographic vision. No other account of captivity in this period offers such a detailed and dynamic tableau of Algerian society at the end of the sixteenth century. An Early Modern Dialogue with Islam: Antonio de Sosa's Topography of Algiers (1612) makes available in translation a riveting sixteenth-century chronicle of European and North African cultural contacts that is virtually unknown to English-speaking readers. The Topography was written by a Portuguese cleric, Doctor Antonio de Sosa, who was captured by Algerian corsairs in 1577 and held as a Barbary slave for over four years while awaiting ransom. Sosa's work is a fascinating description of a city at the crossroads of civilizations, with a sophisticated multilingual population of Turks, Arabs, Moriscos, Berbers, Jews, Christian captives, and converts to Islam from across the world. In the Topography of Algiers , Sosa meticulously describes the inhabitants' daily lives; their fashions, pastimes, feasts, and funerals; their government; the landmarks of the city itself; and much more. Readers will be struck by the vibrancy of his narrative, rendered into English with crisp accuracy by Diana de Armas Wilson. The Topography is a treasure trove of amazing customs, startling behavior, and historical anecdotes that will enthrall readers. The extensive introduction by Maria Antonia Garces is a superb archival study of the Mediterranean world described by the Topography , as well as an expose of the adventurous, even scandalous, life of its author. The introduction also discusses the fraudulent publication of Sosa's Topography under another man's name. Sosa's chronicle stands out for its complexity, vitality, and the sharpness of the author's ethnographic vision. No other account of captivity in this period offers such a detailed and dynamic tableau of Algerian society at the end of the sixteenth century. "Long overdue, this translation and edition of Sosa's Topografia is an absolute gem. Sixteenth-century Algiers was the Mediterranean's crossroads, a meeting point and melting-pot for Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Sosa's survey literally brings this important city to life. It is all there: architecture, economy, and religion, plus pirates, renegades, slaves, marriage customs, and more. There is no better source for understanding the human complexity of the early modern Mediterranean world, and both Diana de Armas Wilson--for the translation--and Maria Antonia Garces--for the introduction and notes--deserve credit for their masterful achievement." -- Richard L. Kagan, Johns Hopkins University "This is a truly significant text for all scholars of early modern Europe, worthy of their greatest interest and attention. An Early Modern Dialogue with Islam: Antonio de Sosa's Topography of Algiers (1612) marks a watershed in our understanding of the synergies of power and the nature of shifting identities along the borderlands of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe; this work stands as an example of interdisciplinary and cross-culture criticism at its best." -- E. Michael Gerli, University of Virginia "Maria Antonia Garces, author of the classic Cervantes in Algiers: A Captive's Tale , crowns her scholarly achievements witha true masterpiece: An Early Modern Dialogue withIslam: Antonio de Sosa's Topography of Algiers (1612). Sosa's Topografia wasformerly attributed to Diego de Haedo, but Professor Garces was able to solvethe centuries-long mystery of the real authorship of the famous Topography , thanks to her patient research in European archives. Garces's stunning discovery, furthermore, sheds new light on the life of Cervantes, for Sosa was notonly his fellow captive in Algiers, but also his first biographer. As theforemost scholar on Cervantes's relationship with Algiers and the Mediterranean, Garces has joined forces with Wilson, a superb translator of Spanish texts. -- Luce Lopez-Baralt, University of Puerto Rico Cover 1 Half title 2 Series page 3 Title page 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Illustrations 12 Transliteration and Translation 14 Note from the Translator 16 Acknowledgments 20 Introduction 26 Preliminary Materials 108 Chapter 1: The Founding of Algiers 118 Chapter 2: Why the City Is Called Algiers 124 Chapter 3: Algiers as a Muslim Kingdom 125 Chapter 4: How Algiers Came under the Turks 127 Chapter 5: The Ramparts of Algiers 129 Chapter 6: The Gates of Algiers 131 Chapter 7: The Fortifications of Algiers 134 Chapter 8: The Moat of Algiers 137 Chapter 9: The Castles and Forts outside Algiers 138 Chapter 10: The Houses and Streets of Algiers 142 Chapter 11: The Inhabitants and Neighbors of Algiers 144 Chapter 12: Turks 149 Chapter 13: Renegades 150 Chapter 14: Ka’ids 153 Chapter 15: Sipahi 156 Chapter 16: Janissaries 158 Chapter 17: Agha of the Janissaries 160 Chapter 18: Ranks of the Janissaries 162 Chapter 19: Customs of the Janissaries at War 166 Chapter 20: Customs of the Janissaries in Peacetime 171 Chapter 21: Customs of the Algerian Corsairs 176 Chapter 22: Catalogue of Corsairs 185 Chapter 23: Corsairs with Frigates 187 Chapter 24: Algerian Merchants 189 Chapter 25: Algerian Laborers and Artisans 193 Chapter 26: Algerian Fashions 210 Chapter 27: The Marabouts of Algiers 215 Chapter 28: The Jews of Algiers 222 Chapter 29: Languages and Currencies 225 Chapter 30: Marriage Ceremonies 229 Chapter 31: Childbirth and Child Rearing 235 Chapter 32: Algerian Women’s Fashions 239 Chapter 33: Women’s Pastimes, Home Decorating, and Cooking 244 Chapter 34: Islamic Feast Days and Festivals in Algiers 250 Chapter 35: A Miscellany of Muslim Customs in Algiers 257 Chapter 36: Algerian Vices 273 Chapter 37: Algerian Virtues 285 Chapter 38: Death and Burial in Algiers 288 Chapter 39: Algerian Buildings and Fountains 294 Chapter 40: The Natural Beauty of Algiers 302 Chapter 41: The Government of Algiers 306 Abbreviations 314 Glossary 315 Notes 328 Archival Sources 394 Bibliography 396 Index 422 Edited With An Introduction By María Antonia Garcés ; Translated By Diana De Armas Wilson. Translated From Spanish. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.