I am a PhD candidate at the University of Münster, Germany. I studied Arabic and Islamic Studies and Philosophy at the University of Münster and Islamic Theology at Marmara University in Istanbul. My research focuses on Arabic literature in the Mamluk Empire (1250–1517), particularly adab prose. I am interested in literary and non-literary conflict in Mamluk society and in sexuality in premodern Islamicate societies.

Research Project

My project, “Genre, Fiction and Conflict in Mamluk Literary Debates,” investigates the genre of literary debates (mufāḫara, munāẓara, and related forms) in the Mamluk Empire, focusing on their Sitz im Leben, literary features, and what they reveal about Mamluk urban culture. Building on an analysis of the kinds of arguments used, the different forms of conflict they represent, and the concept of “conflict talk” (Grimshaw, ed., 1990), I approach literature as a script for conflict. Literary debates offer a blueprint for how conflicts between people of diverse backgrounds emerge, develop, and reach resolution. They also provide examples of how to act on emotions involved in conflict, such as anger, pride, and sadness, and how to respond to an opponent. Most importantly, they demonstrate which qualities allow a victor to assert superiority and prevail in a conflict, qualities that are closely linked to the educational ideal of adab.