Yasmin Zahran
Born1933 (age 90–91)
Ramallah, Mandate for Palestine
OccupationArcheologist
Alma mater
Period1990s
GenreNovel
Notable worksA Beggar at Damascus Gate

Yasmin Zahran (Arabic: Yāsamīn Zahrān; born 1933) is a Palestinian writer and archeologist who is known for her novels, including A Beggar at Damascus Gate.

Early life and education

Zahran was born in Ramallah in 1933.[1][2] She graduated from Columbia University and the University of London.[3] She received a PhD in archaeology from Sorbonne University in Paris.[4]

Career and activities

Following her graduation Zahran was employed in the UNESCO.[4] Then she worked at the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology in Jerusalem.[4] She is the cofounder of the Jerusalem-based Institute of Islamic Archaeology which was established in 1992.[3] Zahran's studies focus on the leading historical figures in the Middle East such as Zenobia which she described as a multi-ethnic queen.[5]

Zahran resides in Paris and Ramallah.[1]

Books

Zahran published her first novel, The First Melody, in 1991 which was published in Arabic.[4] Her second book, A Beggar at Damascus Gate, which was written in English was published in 1993 and narrates the struggle of Palestinians to find a place which they could call home.[6] This novel largely reflects Zahran's own experience.[7]

Her other books include Philip the Arab: A Study in Prejudice, Zenobia Between Reality and Legend, Ghassan Resurrected and Septimius Severus: Countdown to Death.[4] She wrote a book about cats entitled The Golden Tail in 2017.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Yasmin Zahran". Litmus Press. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  2. ↑ Raḍwá ʻĀshūr; Ferial Jabouri Ghazoul; Hasna Reda-Mekdashi, eds. (2008). Arab Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide, 1873-1999. Translated by Mandy McClure. Cairo; New York: American University in Cairo Press. p. 515. ISBN 978-977-416-146-9.
  3. 1 2 Salah Hussein A. Al Houdalieh (2009). "Archaeology Programs at the Palestinian Universities: Reality and Challenges". Archaeologies. 5 (1): 161–183. doi:10.1007/s11759-009-9097-9. S2CID 153948008.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Samah Samih Elhajibrahim (2007). Beyond orientalism: A study of three Arabic women writers (MA thesis). Texas Woman's University. pp. 37–38. hdl:11274/11633.
  5. ↑ Taef El-Azhari (2019). Queens, Eunuchs and Concubines in Islamic History, 661–1257. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. p. 47. doi:10.1515/9781474423199. ISBN 9781474423199. S2CID 248014863.
  6. ↑ Marilyn Booth (Winter 1997). "Book review. A Beggar at Damascus Gate". World Literature Today. 71 (1).
  7. ↑ Layla Al Maleh (2009). "From Romantic Mystics to Hyphenated Ethnics: Arab-American Writers Negotiating/Shifting Identities". In Layla Al Maleh (ed.). Arab Voices in Diaspora. Critical Perspectives on Anglophone Arab Literature. Leiden: Brill. p. 436. doi:10.1163/9789042027190_017. ISBN 9789042027190.
  8. ↑ "The Golden Tail". gilgamesh-publishing.co.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
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