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AnIsl046_art_12.pdf (0.52 Mb)
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Annales islamologiques 46
2013 IFAO
12 p.
gratuit - free of charge
Sufis and Soldiers in Mamluk Cairo. Parading the Aesthetics of Agency

This paper addresses the theme of Sufi public parading, focusing on a case study of the Wafā’iyya order. Correcting earlier academic characterizations of Sufism as a passive vehicle to be manipulated in the interests of religious or military elites, the agency of Sufi actors is recovered. The peculiar nature of Sufi parading is explored in light of its apparent mimicking of military parades, and an argument is made on aesthetic criteria that identifies it as an independent display of power.

Keywords: Sufism – Wafā’iyya – šāḏiliyya – processions – ritual – politics.