"Süleyman ruled over the Ottoman Empire between 1520 and 1566. His domain extended from Hungary to Iran, and from the Crimea to North Africa and the Indian Ocean. The wealth of his treasury and the strength of his armies dazzled historians, poets, courtiers, diplomats, and publics across Eurasia. Süleyman fought with the Catholic Habsburgs in Europe and the Shiite Safavids in the Middle East, while presiding over a multilinguistic and multireligious empire. During his reign, imperial governance expanded considerably, and the law was emphasized as the main bond between ruler and subject. Süleyman's prolific poetic output, his frequent appearances during public ceremonies, his charity, and his patronage of arts and architecture enhanced his reputation as a universal ruler who promised peace and prosperity to his subjects"--

A remarkable first-person narrative by a sixteenth-century Iranian ruler, the Memoirs of Shah Tahmasp I, Safavid Ruler of Iran (1514-1576), originally written in Persian, represent a vitally important primary source for the history of the Middle East in the period. In particular, the Memoirs shed light on the Safavid conflict with the Uzbeks and Ottomans, which played a decisive role in shaping the modern frontiers of the region. The Memoirs also represent an invaluable source for the internal political and religious life of the Safavid court, and the ways in which Shah Tahmasp, one of the most important rulers in Iranian history, wished to be remembered and viewed. This book represents the first English translation of this important text, and is furnished with an extensive introduction and notes that situate the work in its literary and historical context.

A swan gracefully soared past the Vindhyas, bearing a message of love. Then began an odyssey of two impassioned lovers. They first met each other through the musings and rumors of the fabled peerless lovers. A Swayamvara was the fated stage for their first union. In presence of every king and lord who gave up their knightly vows and sheathed their swords. There was peace on earth and the news of it spread to the very realms of paradise – the abode of divinity - as the holy dwellers of heaven grew suspicious of a peaceful mankind. Intrigued, they peered down upon the Earth with their ethereal gaze, catching a fleeting glimpse of the legendary princess. Enchanted by her beauty and enthralled by the prospect of eternal companionship, they chose to descend into the mortal realm partake in the Swayamvara trial. As the gods of the good and the evil began their descent, a valiant lover bathed in righteous radiance hopped onto his trusted steed and strode toward the same trail.

Only little is known about the book culture of Tunis, although the city had been a centre for teaching and learning throughout Ḥafṣid rule in Ifrīqiya (c. 1230 to 1574). The libraries of Tunis are considered lost since the sack of the city by the armies of the emperor Charles V in the summer of 1535. This study reconstructs for the first time the original holdings of Tunis' medieval libraries and shows what can still be learned from these recovered fragments. An in-depth analysis of a wide range of texts and artefacts shows that the Ḥafṣid libraries were looted and their collections redistributed, mostly among European collectors. The Lost Libraries of Tunis brings Early Modern scholarship on Arabic texts and language into context by utilising the manuscripts from Ifrīqiya as a source to map the interest in, and scholarship on, Arabic manuscripts in Early Modern Europe. With an art-historical and sociohistorical interpretation of the reconstructed manuscript corpus, The Lost Libraries of Tunis challenges views accepted among Islamic art historians and describes a dynamic and vivid regional book culture of the Maghreb embedded in the wider Arabic manuscript tradition, precisely showing strong interaction and exchange.