"MEMORIES OF THE BELOVED": ORAL HISTORIES FROM THE 1916–19 SIEGE OF MEDINA. (9th October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: El Bakri, Alia
• Is Part Of: International journal of Middle East studies. Volume 46:Number 4(2014:Nov.)
• Page Start: 703
• Page End: 718
• Publication Date: 2014-10-09
• Subjects: Middle East -- Periodicals; 915.603305
• DOI: 10.1017/S0020743814001020
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-7438

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>This article analyzes interviews related to the 1916–19 Sharifian siege of Medina that were published in a collection on the city's history by Saudi Arabian historian Ahmad Murshid. These oral histories narrate how Fakhri Pasha (Turkish: Fahreddin), the Ottoman military commander stationed in Medina during the siege, expelled residents from their homes, strictly controlled the supply of food in the city, and managed military operations out of the Holy Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad. The article seeks to explore the perspective of ordinary civilians who experienced the siege, a perspective largely missing from the literature on the subject. The interviews are positioned here as a valuable historical source for understanding the impact of the siege on these individuals and on their families, communities, and identities. Their memories underscore the interviewees' deep attachment to their city, as well as to their identity as <italic>madanī</italic>s and as legitimate narrators of Medina's history.</p> </abstract>