maqāmah

<em>Maqāmāt</em> of al-កarÄ«rÄ«Discussion near a village, from the 43rd maqāmah of the Maqāmāt (“Assemblies”) of al-កarÄ«rÄ«, miniature painted by Yaឥyā ibn MaឥmÅ«d al-Wāsiá¹­Ä«, 1237; in the BibliothÚque Nationale, Paris.

maqāmah, Arabic literary genre in which entertaining anecdotes, often about rogues, mountebanks, and beggars, written in an elegant, rhymed prose (sajʿ), are presented in a dramatic or narrative context most suitable for the display of the author’s eloquence, wit, and erudition.

The first collection of such writings, which make no pretense of being factual, was the Maqāmāt of al-HamadhānÄ« (d. 1008). It consists mainly of picaresque stories in alternating prose and verse woven round two imaginary characters. The genre was revived and finally established in the 11th century by al-កarÄ«rÄ« of Basra (Iraq), whose Maqāmāt, closely imitating al-Hamadhānī’s, is regarded as a masterpiece of literary style and learning.

This article was most recently revised and updated by J.E. Luebering.
Citation Information
Article Title: maqāmah
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 26 August 2010
Access Date: November 14, 2026