Der Basar
Subtitle: Mittelpunkt des Lebens in der islamischen Welt : Geschichte und Gegenwart eines menschengerechten Stadtmodells
By: Walter M. Weiss, Text ; Kurt-Michael Westermann, Photographie ; E.T. Balic, Planillustrationen.
Contributors: Westermann, Kurt-Michael, 1951-
Edition: 1. Aufl.
Publisher: Edition C. Brandstätter
Published: 1994
Place of publication: Wien
Language: ger
Number of pages: 255
Subjects: Bazaars (Markets).; Cities and towns -- Islamic countries.; Islamic countries -- Social life and customs.
Description: This illustrated journey through the bazaars in the old Islamic cities of the Orient shows how little they have changed since the Middle Ages. First the origins of the bazaar, its roots in the markets of ancient times, and the early Islamic fortresses and caravanserais are examined. Then the path of goods, carried by the trader's indispensable companion, the camel, is traced along legendary caravan routes like the Silk, Incense, and Amber Roads. After describing the everyday workings of the bazaar, the book focuses on traditional trades and crafts, including gold and sugar traders' markets, and the workshops of lute makers, fabric painters, glassblowers, and coppersmiths. We watch Persian carpet makers, perfumers, miniature painters, and calligraphers at work and meet people whose exotic trades are now dying out: sword, dagger, and fire makers, water sellers, magicians, story-tellers, and silk weavers. More than a dozen of the finest and most important bazaars -- including Marrakesh, Fez, Damascus, Aleppo, Cairo, Istanbul, Isfahan, Sanaa, and Samarkand -- are described in full and illustrated. -- Description of the translation of the English translation from https://books.google.com (Nov. 25, 2015).
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 253) and index.