Overview

This groundbreaking book challenges many stereotypical views about the historical practice of prostitution. Based on twenty years' research, and organized by region, it charts the history of sex for sale in those chief centres of the late antique and medieval East, whether in Arabia, Egypt, Syria or Anatolia. Ranging extensively from 300 CE to 1500 (or from the reign of Theodosius to the early Ottoman period), Gary Leiser meticulously examines the available sources and argues for a reappraisal of the so-called oldest profession. He suggests that it was never prohibited; that there was remarkable continuity between Christian and Muslim rule; and that prostitution was institutionalized as a 'service industry' at various times. Indicating that sex work in the East had its own distinctive character and meanings (for example, that it was taxed from the time of Caligula onwards and that prostitutes were expected to retain tax receipts), the book brings continually fresh insights to a controversial subject.

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9781784536527

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Reviews

'Gary Leiser's book is based on an exhaustive examination and interrogation of primary texts and secondary studies. His lively coverage of prostitution and sex in the Near East coverage is both broad and probing. He ranges across a very long period that encompassed several profound political shifts and cultural transformations. His impressive command of the specialized vocabulary requisite to accurate translations is apparent throughout. There is nothing comparable in the field at present, and the sheer scope of this book means it is unlikely to be superseded any time soon. The research on which it is based is thoroughly comprehensive, while its zesty style of presentation persuasively supports the author's objectives: his use of illustrative anecdotes is a highly successful means of capturing and holding the reader's attention.' - Carl F Petry, Professor of Middle East Studies and Professor of Teaching Excellence, Northwestern University, author of The Criminal Underworld in a Medieval Islamic Society and editor of The Cambridge History of Egypt Volume One: Islamic Egypt, 640-1517

Author Information

Gary Leiser is the author of many scholarly articles and several books on Islamic and medieval topics. These include Questions and Answers for Physicians: A medieval Arabic Study Manual (2004) and Turkish Language, Literature and History: Travellers' Tales, Sultans and Scholars since the Eighth Century (edited with Bill Hickman, 2015). He gained a PhD in Middle Eastern History from the University of Pennsylvania.

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