Letter to Her Sister

Umm Sālim

11th Century

Colorful illustration showing two facing seated figures in robes and long turbans, one bearded and writing on a scroll with a pen and the other gesturing.
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This text preserves a Judeo-Arabic correspondence between two sisters. The author, writing probably from Fustāt (Old Cairo), is frustrated over her sister’s lack of response and wonders if her previous two letters have reached her. She also worries about her son Sālim, who appears to be in Byzantium. Ellipses indicate lacunae in the manuscript.

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Creator Bio

Umm Sālim

11th Century

Almost nothing is known about the life of Umm Sālim (“Mother of Sālim”), a woman who lived in Fustāt (Old Cairo).

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