The Berlin Centre for Modern Oriental Studies (ZMO) was founded in 1996. ZMO is dedicated to the historical, social, and cultural study of the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. Apart from... Show moreThe Berlin Centre for Modern Oriental Studies (ZMO) was founded in 1996. ZMO is dedicated to the historical, social, and cultural study of the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. Apart from conducting its own research programmes the institute promotes the development of research networks o n national and international levels. Show less
Situated halfway between Aden and Oman, the Yemeni province of Hadhramaut is considered by most fleeting visitors a backwater, notable only for the highrise mudbrick houses of the former trading... Show moreSituated halfway between Aden and Oman, the Yemeni province of Hadhramaut is considered by most fleeting visitors a backwater, notable only for the highrise mudbrick houses of the former trading centre of Shibam and the extravagant but decaying palaces of neighbouring Say'un and Tarim. Little is known, however, about the people who built these remarkable constructions, and about their far-reaching connections in the areas bordering on the Indian Ocean. However, their story, if recovered, sheds light on a number of questions pertinent to current interests in Middle Eastern and Islamic history. Let us consider the biography of one such trader, whose cosmopolitanism in entrepreneurial, political, and intellectual terms is quite typical for a wider group of Hadhramis, as well as probably for members of other such groups in the Indian Ocean and beyond. Show less
