Rifā‘a Rāfi‘ al-Tahtāwī (Arab discovery of European sociability) [ Travel / Translation, Dissemination & Reception ]
… for entertainment purposes in places the French called al-tiyātr ( le theatre ), a venue for al-sibiktākil (the spectacle). He observed all these activities with the curiosity of the traveller but also with the gaze of the reformer … as follows: amusement improves the morals ʼ (al-Tahtawi, An Imam in Paris , 228-229). 5 For al-Tahtāwī, the greatest spectacle in Paris was the one called al-ūbbira (the opera), in which the best musicians, dancers and singers performed …
Dress | Europe | France | Theatre | Travel
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