المكان والزمان في رواية "مسرى الغرانيق في مدن العقيق"

SPACE AND TIME IN THE NOVEL MASRĀ AL-GHARĀNĪQ FĪ MUDUN AL-ʿAQĪQ

Abstract

This research paper examines the representation of space and time in Umayma Al-Khamis’s novel Masrā al-Gharānīq fī Mudun al-ʿAqīq, reading it within the horizon of modern narrative forms influenced by travel literature. Centered on the journey of the protagonist, Mazīd al-Ḥanafī, who departs from al-Yamāmah and moves through major cultural cities—most notably Baghdad, Jerusalem, Cairo, North Africa, and al-Andalus—the novel constructs a wide geographic map that functions not merely as a background but as a formative force shaping character, worldview, and intellectual transformation. The study traces how the narrative space is built through detailed description of cities, institutions, and everyday life—mosques, libraries, markets, inns, and houses—while also recording customs, beliefs, and social patterns, thus producing a travel-like documentary texture within a fictional framework. In parallel, the research highlights the novel’s temporal architecture, which is carefully dated and historically grounded, allowing time to operate as an evolving narrative event that interacts with ideological conflict and the tension between reason and authority. The paper concludes that Al-Khamis employs spatial mobility and historical time as two interdependent narrative engines that deepen the novel’s aesthetic value and reinforce its cultural and intellectual dimensions.

Conflict of Interest:

The author(s) declare that there are no competing or potential conflicts of interest regarding the research, authorship, and publication of this article.

Participant Consent:

Not applicable. This study does not involve human participants.

Data Fabrication/Falsification Statement:

The author(s) declare that no data have been fabricated, falsified, or manipulated in this study.

Copyright:

Copyright (c) 2025 Aisha Hafiz