Sarah Iskander

Midnight Tales: A Womans Journey through the Middle East, by Rosina-Fawzia

al-Rawi, 2005
Based on the actual travels of Rosina-Fawzia al-Rawi, Midnight Tales: A
Womans Journey Through the Middle East is a collection of personal essays that follows
Al-Rawi as she journeys from souks of Baghdad to the bustling streets of Damascus. Al-
Rawis encounters in the Middle East are intertwined with her love of poetry, Sufism,
knowledge, and history. The reader walks away from the book entertained, but also well
informed on a variety of historical items pertaining to the Middle East. This collection is
highly recommend for travel buffs, those aspiring to embark on such a journey, or even
students eager to learn about the Middle East and its customs, traditions, and history in an
unconventional and exciting way.

For Scholars

Midnight Tales: A Womans Journey Through the Middle East is not just an
entertaining read; it is also laced with rich historiographical information relating back to
al-Rawis encounters country by country. Such information is exemplified in al-Rawis
explanation of the city of Baghdad and its formation in 100 AH under al-Mansour, the
second Abbasid caliph. While some of her accounts evoke Orientalist themes, al-Rawi
presents Middle Eastern culture from an inside perspective, referencing history, memory,
and the making of modern Arab culture.

Primary Research Applications
Regional identity in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, Egypt, and the Emirates
Arab nationalism
Sarah Iskander

Womens rights in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, Egypt, and the Emirates
Womens customs in the Emirates
Anthropology
Sufism
Arabic poetry

Further Reading in the Oman Library (among other texts):

Writing Off the Beaten Track Reflections on the Meaning of Travel and Culture in
the Middle East, Judith Caesar, 2002
Paradise Beneath Her Feet: How Women are Transforming the Middle East,
Isobel Coleman, 2010
The Veil: Women Writers on its History, Lore, and Politics, Jennifer Heath, 2008
Readjusting Perspectives: Nationalism, Religion and Culture, Center for the
Study of the Modern Arab World, Saint Josephs University (Beirut), 1983
Women of the Arab World: The Coming Challenge: Papers of the Arab Women's
Solidarity Association Conference, edited by Nahid Toubia, 1988
Family, Gender, and Population in the Middle East: Policies in Context, Carla
Makhlouf Obermeyer, 1995
The Liberation of Women and The New Woman: Two Documents in the History of
Egyptian Feminism, Qasim Amin, 2000