Tunisia's Andalusians by Domínguez Díaz, Marta;

Short description:

Explores the cultural identity of the Andalusian community in post-revolutionary Tunisia.

Long description:

Tunisia’s Andalusians tells the captivating story of those Andalusians, descendants of Muslims expelled from Spain in the seventeenth century, who sought refuge in Tunisia. Rather than simply replicating Iberian traditions, Andalusian culture in Tunisia stands as a vibrant and evolving phenomenon, shaped by complex dynamics of interaction and adaptation over four centuries. The book dismantles the romanticised view of Andalusian culture as a mere transplantation of al-Andalus, analysing distinctive cultural features that distinguish Andalusians as an ethnic group within Tunisia’s diverse social fabric.

Drawing on historical records and contemporary ethnographic data, including personal accounts and family archives, the book sheds light on how Andalusians navigate their unique cultural position amidst a Tunisian national narrative often focused on Arabo-Muslim homogeneity. By examining the complexities of cultural preservation and assimilation, the book offers a nuanced perspective on Andalusian identity, revealing its dynamism and resilience in the face of changing social, political, and economic circumstances.

Table of Contents:

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Note on Transliteration

Introduction: Andalusians as a Minority

1. Mudéjares, Moriscos and Andalusians: The Historical Making of a Minority (Eighth to Early Seventeenth Centuries)
2. Shaykhdoms: Andalusian Identity and Tribal Politics
3. Testour: Social Relations in an Andalusian Town
4. The Shashiyya and the Demise of Andalusian Material Culture
5. Andalusian Traditions: Between Cultural Loss and Revival
6. Andalusians and the Past: Doing Ethnicity through Memory

Epilogue: The Changing Nature of Andalusian Identity

Bibliography
Index