NOTA SULLA DANZA NEL MONDO ARABO MEDIEVALE

The present contribution reviews the main sources on the topic of “dance” in several works of the medieval Arab culture. Different fields are analysed: a historical perspective trough al-Mas‘ūdī’s Murūǧ al-ḏahab, a religious point of view by al-Buḫārī in his al-Ǧāmi‘ al-Ṣaḥīḥ, a poetic description by Ibn Ḥamdīs, a philosophical approach by al-Fārābī in his Kitāb al-musīqī al-kabīr, a legal opposition by al-‘Abdarī and many other jurists. The artistic field is also considered, with the presentation of a wall painting and some miniatures. The main purpose of this study is to highlight the strong presence of dance in the Arab Middle Ages, showing how it has been playing a multifaceted role in the Arab civilization, since ancient times up to the contemporary era.