Praising Damascus: City Panegyrics as a Literary Genre and a Concept of Urbanity

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Focusing on the literary traditions of panegyric literature, this study explores the complex representations of cities, particularly Damascus, through prose and poetry. It highlights the dynamics of urban life and civic pride while examining rhetorical elements and their inversions in city praise. A notable example is the 16th-century city-slam between Baghdad and Damascus, illustrating the contestation inherent in city panegyrics. The analysis reveals that these works often blend praise with criticism, offering deeper insights into cultural perceptions of urban identity.