Frédéric Bauden
Professor Dr Frédéric Bauden is Professor of Arabic Language and Islamic Studies
at the University of Liège, focusing on Mamluk historiography, diplomatics, and codicology. He is the editor of the Bibliotheca Maqriziana (Leiden), which will publish definitive critical
editions of al-Maqrīzī’s works accompanied by annotated translations and thorough introductions. He has recently completed his book entitled Al-Maqrīzī’s Collection of Opuscules: An Introduction.
Of Buying Many Books There Is No End: Paratextual Marks as a Source for the History of the Book in Islam
During the Mamluk period, Cairo was renowned for its book markets and the richness of its public and private libraries. Over the last century, there has been renewed interest in the history of the book, collecting and libraries. Published studies focused on data provided by primary sources, but largely overlook information supplied by the books themselves. Paratextual marks, the focus of this lecture, are now the subject of greater scrutiny, as they constitute original pieces of valuable information on the history of the books. More than ever, these marks also give us the opportunity to analyze the itineraries of these objects