Nelly Hanna (Books)

Nelly Hanna Books

Nelly Hanna is a professor of Arabic studies at the American University in Cairo. Her scholarship delves into the cultural history of Cairo, particularly focusing on its middle class from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. She explores the significant role of books as cultural artifacts, offering insights into the intellectual and social currents of the era. Hanna's work provides a unique lens through which to understand the development of Cairo's urban society.

Making Big Money in 1600: The Life and Times of Isma'il Abu Taqiyya, Egyptian Merchant

224 pages
8 hours of reading

3.4(10)Add rating

Nelly Hanna's work challenges the standard perceptions about Middle East society and economy of the seventeenth century. Both novel in its approach and information, this book's central theme revolves around the rise of an indigenous form of capitalism existing as early as the 1600s. Making Big Money in 1600 examines the reemergence of the economic sector and its complex influences on social conditions during this time. By examining the life and work of Isma'il Abu Taqiyya, Hanna traces the relationship between economic activities and culture. As we are introduced to Abu Taqiyya we learn how he negotiates partnership with other merchants, arranges for the handling of goods, and negotiates loans for colleagues. Hanna reveals his home life, his wives, children, and concubines, his relations with his family and friends, and how these relations evolved and were affected by the changing social and economic conditions-a perspective rarely discussed in works before the modern period.