Arab Culture and Ottoman Magnificence in Antwerp's Golden Age (Studies in the Arcadian Library)

The theme of this richly-illustrated book is the impact and image of the Maghrib and of the Levant on European learning and culture during the Renaissance and the Golden Age, with special reference to Antwerp's pivotal position as a great trading and printing city. Publication of the English language edition is timed to coincide with an exhibition of rare books and manuscripts at the Plantin-Moretus Museum of Printing History, taking place in Antwerp in late 2001/early 2002. It includes an extended introduction by Alastair Hamilton accompanied by a list of the exhibits. The majority of the exhibits derive equally from the holdings of the Plantin-Moretus Museum, and from the Arcadian Library, an outstanding, private library dedicated to the history of Levantine influences in Europe.