Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar

By Emily Ruete

Book Overview

"[A]n intriguing account of court life in an outpost of the Islamic empire in Africa." Journal of World History In 1844, Salamah bint Sa?d was born into royalty of the sultanate of Zanzibar and Omar. She was the youngest out of Sayyid Said bin Sultan Al-Busaid's thirty children and daughter of a Circassian concubine, and through her early years spent in a variety of great palaces she experienced vast wealth. This is the story of Sa?d's life, written after she had left Zanzibar and eloped with Rudolph Heinrich Ruete to Germany to begin life under her new name, Emily Ruete. From an early age she was witness to the intrigue and politics of the harem, even involving herself at the tender age of fifteen to the factional infighting and an attempted coup by her brother Barghash against another brother. But this is more than merely an interesting story of one Arabian princess's life in East Africa, as Sa?d provides a fascinating insight into the social and cultural history of Zanzibar. She writes on numerous topics from schooling to fashion, medical treatment to slavery, thus giving a vivid impression of when she lived. After she married Rudolph Ruete and converted to Christianity, they spent the rest of their lives in Hamburg. She wrote Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar in German in 1886. It was the first known autobiography of an Arabian woman. She died in 1924 in Germany at the age of 79. This edition was translated by Lionel Strachey and published in 1907. Strachey died in 1927.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1519083556
• ISBN13: 9781519083555
• Release Date: December 2016
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 132 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.3" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Zanzibar

This is the classic account of life inside the family of an Arab ruler on the island of Zanzibar in the mid-19th century. If the topic interests you, there is nothing else equal to it.

A wonderful book

This book is written by Emily Ruete (formerly, Syiida Salma) who was the daughter of the most influential rulers of Oman and Zanzibar of all times. It was originally written in German and then translated into English and Arabic. This book is excellent for the kind of readers who are fascinated by history and, Arab and Islam culture. Although the title suggests the author's autobiography, the book goes further to give a clear image on the political aspects and social life of the island of Zanzibar. I am glad that she had some financial hardships that forced her to write such a book to sell it. It has delivered so much information about Zanzibar that we wouldn't know.

Fascinating

This book contains the memoirs of Emily (Sayyida) Ruete, a Nineteenth Century Arabian princess. It is a fascinating tale of childhood and living conditions within the harem in Nineteenth Century Zanzibar. The book is unique in that Sayyida was one of the very few princesses who learned to write, hence other princesses were not able to record their experiences. It is refreshing to read an insider's report of harem life rather than the strange misinterpretations of short-term foreign visitors. The book also contains firsthand accounts of political intrigue, which will be of interest to students of Zanzibari or Omani history.

Related Reading

I haven't read this book yet, although I have been planning to for the last five years. But I have read "Trade Wind," a semi-fictional but remarkably historic novel by M.M. Kaye, in which Emily Ruete is one of the main characters. I recommend everyone read it, because it gives a lot of background information on Zanzibar, and an intriguing account of the rebellion there at the time the princess (Emily) eloped with her German lover.

a real story, incredible for the muslim world ...

I use to leave in Ruete's palace in Zanzibar and reading her story was amazing for me. If you ever plan to visit the island of Zanzibar you can't miss this book.