Al-Karakiya

Al-Karakiya (fl. 1260), was a qiyan poetess and musician, active in the early Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt. She was the royal slave concubine of Sultan Baybars (r. 1260–1277).

Al-Karakiya was raised as a child slave of the future Sultan Baybars. Her enslaver gave her the name Al-Karakiya, meaning "Woman of Karak", because he himself had been imprisoned as a boy in the Al-Karak Fortress.[1] During the reign of Baybars, she became active as a qiyan of the Bahri harem. She was a poet and composed music for her poems, and was described in classical Arabic literature as one of the most accomplished slave-singers of her time.[1]

In Arabic literature, she is included in Masālik al-abṣār fī mamālik al-amṣār by Ibn Fadlallah al-Umari (1301–1349), the main work describing historical slave singers.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Yasemin Gökpinar: Der ṭarab der Sängersklavinnen: Masālik al-abṣār fī mamālik al-amṣār von Ibn Faḍlallāh al-ʿUmarī (gest. 749/1349): Textkritische Edition des 10. Kapitels Ahl ʿilm al-mūsīqī mit kommentierter Übersetzung, Ergon Verlag, Baden-Baden 2021, S. 277–285.
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