The image of the near other in the book Aliaetibar by Usama ibn Munqidh in the Era of the Crusades

Abstract

This study focuses on what Usama ibn Munqidh has presented to us through internal portrayals of his close family, who constitute the foremost presence in his life. Usama has documented some observations and interactions with them, listening, recording, and interacting with them while in their midst. Relying on the images stored in his memory, he began his memoirs at the age of ninety.

    The study delves into the social aspects of life, including customs in medicine, trials, religious matters, and traditions. Usama recorded his observations on hunting methods, types of domesticated animals, and forests. These images are the result of the treasury of his memory and what they can represent. Memories pass through the framework of Usama's ethical and cultural system. In other words, the image is not the person himself but rather the person through narratives and stories that depict him. It creates a similar image formed from swarms of successive and accumulated images, making it difficult to separate them from the reality of the person himself.