"Rihla" Genre Features in Youssef Zeidan’s Novel “Azazel”

Abstract

The subject of the study is the genre of "rihla", that is, the Oriental person pilgrimage to various countries. The authors are interested in the elements of this style and their application in the novel "Azazel" by the Egyptian writer Youssef Zeidan. The main character, traveling along the Nile, Sinai and Asia Minor, learns the world around him. Through the eyes of a young man, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Damascus and other great cities of the early Middle Ages and their sights are described. Being in the midst of historical events, a young Egyptian acquires skills of a doctor. He witnesses the murder of a female philosopher Hypatia by Christian fanatics. Fleeing from painful memories, the healer flees Africa in search of true Christianity to the homeland of Jesus, where he becomes a monk Hypa. Mentors help him cope with doubts, advising him to write down everything he has experienced. This is how Gipa's guide to the countries of Africa and Asia is born, at the same time the confession of a reasonable person tempted by passions. The methods of historical and systemic analysis used make it possible to compare the lives of worshippers of the Hellenic gods and the first Christians. The author concludes that due to the traditional genre of "rihla" for Arabic literature, that is, the spiritual wanderings of the hero, Zeidan creates a reliable multifaceted picture of the life of people of the fifth century AD and tries to reveal the essence of the personality of the monk Hipa against the background of historical realities and characters. The format of diaries filled with experiences helps to delve into the inner world of the pilgrim and fully reveal the psychology of the pilgrim. This genre, in addition to cognitive and entertainment functions, has acquired historical and psychological features.