Homage to Mecca in Raja Alem’s Ṭawq al-ḥamām

Abstract

This article explores Raja Alem’s 2011 novel Ṭawq al-ḥamām [The Doves’ Necklace], a work of fiction that aspires to preserve Mecca’s heritage during times of rapid social and economic change. Out of reverence for her birthplace and formative background, Alem devotes her epic-length novel to her main mission of resurrecting the lineaments and heritage of the city she knew as an inhabitant and a booklover, by employing various techniques that help overcome heritage erosion with creativity. From investing the city of Mecca with the archetypal significance of the Great Mother, to promoting courage and constructive energy in her characters, Alem’s intention is to bequeath to Saudi Arabia’s new generations a solid sense of history, identity, continuity, and cultural roots. A tour de force in its spatial, temporal, and thematic range, the novel strives on many different levels to combat extinction with life and regeneration.