![](http://www.alamy.com/thumbs/6/20971CC1-A9F7-48CB-9854-0417E30D9D4A/2B0339J.jpg)
The ‘Maqama’ are a collection of picaresque Arabic tales written in the form of rhymed prose in which rhetorical extravagance is conspicuous. The style was invented in the 10th century by Badi al-Zaman al-Hamadhani and extended by Abu Muhammed al-Qasim ibn Ali al-Hariri of Basra the following century. The protagonists in the tales are invariably silver-tongued hustlers, especially the roguish Abu Zaid al-Saruji, who trick the narrator and who live on their wits and dazzle onlookers with displays of acrobatics, acting and by reciting poetry.
Size: 3958px × 5146px
Photo credit: © Pictures From History / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1240, abu, al, al-hariri, al-harith, arab, asia, asian, basra, boat, ce, communication, dhow, gulf, hariri, iraq, iraqi, islam, literature, maqama, maqamat, muslim, persian, ship, transport, wasiti, world, zayd