Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
6-2026
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program
Middle Eastern Studies
Advisor
Anna Akasoy
Subject Categories
Arabic Studies | Chinese Studies | Cultural History | Islamic World and Near East History | Medieval History
Keywords
al-Andalus, cultural mobility, global history, rice, sericulture, knowledge production
Abstract
The Maghrebi Silk Road: A Medieval Exploration is an interdisciplinary historical examination of a variety of intellectual and material cross-cultural interactions and connections between Asia and the Maghreb from 900 to 1492. It primarily revolves around agriculture, sericulture, and immaterial and material culture, with an emphasis on knowledge production and dissemination. In it, I focus on the Mediterranean endpoint of the Silk Road network, illustrating the Maghrebi Silk Road through an exploration of various case studies such as rice, silk, and storytelling that demonstrate the role of and the extent to which these “secondary” Silk Road routes existed and were pivotal in the Islamic West. From Oryza sativa to Bombyx mori, Morus alba, and Kalīla wa Dimna, I argue that these are but a few of the many examples that prove a rich and substantial transmission and incorporation of knowledge and goods from Asia to al-Andalus during the medieval period.
Recommended Citation
Ouammou, Malak, "The Maghrebi Silk Road: A Medieval Exploration" (2026). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6690
Included in
Arabic Studies Commons, Chinese Studies Commons, Cultural History Commons, Islamic World and Near East History Commons, Medieval History Commons
