Al-Suyūṭī, a Polymath of the Mamlūk Period

This volume is a collection of several of the papers presented during the themed day of the First Conference of the School of Mamlūk Studies (Venice, June 23-25, 2014), devoted to Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī. It contains fresh insights into aspects of his scholarly output already investigated, as well as original remarks and new insights into issues until now poorly investigated, or overlooked in scholarly literature. Commonly held opinions on al-Suyūṭī’s intellectual profile and working method are also questioned and modified. The essays published herein thus constitute a meaningful contribution to a reassessment of the scholarly profile of this controversial but fascinating polymath and intellectual who uniquely interpreted and represented the cultural trends and political tensions of the last phaseof the Mamlūk period.