The Bazaar: Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World - Hardcover

Weiss, Walter M.; Westermann, Kurt-Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0500018391 ISBN 13: 9780500018392

Publisher: Thames & Hudson, 2001

Synopsis

Covers the history of Islamic markets, social and physical structures, water, vendors and crafts, and bazaars from Morocco to Central Asia

About this title

About the Author

Walter M. Weiss has been editor of Ikarus, Skylines, and Diners Club Magazine. He has written for many other publications and is the author of several cultural and travel guides. Kurt-Michael Westermann's photographs have been featured in magazines, books, and numerous international exhibitions.

Reviews

The Islamic bazaar, as veteran editor and traveler Weiss reveals, is more than a collection of flea market stalls. And his book, though illustrated with glorious photographs by Kurt-Michael Westermann, is more than a decoration for the coffee table. Here, peripatetic readers and couch potatoes alike will discover the true romance of this area, learning about trade routes, the religious life, camels, and craftspeople, as well as 15 bazaars, ranging in location from Aleppo in Syria to Samarkand in Uzbekistan. The text in combination with the visuals is mesmerizing; Weiss, for instance, describes the one-or two-humped ship of the desert--an animal that can drink up to 22 gallons of water in mere minutes--so factually that almost instant familiarity is born. Bazaars are featured in light of purchases and historical sights, accompanied by maps showing the location of different songs or markets. A picture book that destroys ancient myths while acknowledging beauties of the Middle East. Barbara Jacobs

Travel writer Weiss and photographer Westermann combine their talents to produce a stunning tour of the bazaars of the old Islamic cities. The uniquely Islamic bazaar, explains Weiss, is "a city within a city, with its own economy and way of life and a spiritual background from which western society has a great deal to learn." The philosophy of the bazaar affects and is affected by religion, social customs, architecture, and the availability of water. To understand the concept of the bazaar, Weiss begins with a brief history of trade, its existence from earliest times, the effects of Mohammed's teachings, the four major trade routes, and a history of the camel and its place in Arab society. A section on shopkeepers and their goods covers history, their techniques, and the effects of modern life on their livelihood. Finally, brief visits to 15 of the great bazaars point out the qualities that makes each unique. A beautiful book without any real competition that will be of use for most collections.AMary Morgan Smith, Northland P.L., Pittsburgh
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Thames & Hudson
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0500018391
• ISBN 13: 9780500018392
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256