Nābulusī Explores the Ruins of Baalbek: Antiquarianism in the Ottoman Empire during the Seventeenth Century

A study reveals that the Damascene scholar ʿAbd al-Ghanī al-Nābulusī, during the 17th century, visited and described the Roman ruins of Baalbek twice, in 1689 and 1700. Contrary to the common perception that Muslims ignored pre-Islamic antiquity, Nābulusī's interpretation of the site as a palace built by jinns for Solomon was likely a deliberate play on its historicity to emphasize Syria's innate sanctity. This finding challenges the notion of a stark contrast between antiquarianism in the Ottoman Empire and Renaissance Europe, suggesting instead that they developed along parallel but variant lines.

Shafir, N. (2022). Nābulusī Explores the Ruins of Baalbek: Antiquarianism in the Ottoman Empire during the Seventeenth Century. Renaissance Quarterly, 75(1), 136–184. https://doi.org/10.1017/rqx.2021.332