Tunisia in travelogues of the modern period (1492-1789)

Do the accounts of prisoners and slaves provide a rich source for historical studies and an
inspiration for literary work? How can the travels of traders and pilgrims become sources
of knowledge and creative writing? What role do diplomatic and scientific missions play
in intercultural exchange?
The book answers these questions in papers from an international conference organized by
the Tunisian Beït Al Hikma Academy of Science, Literature and Art from 25-27 October
2017, in which a number of Tunisian and Western researchers looked into economic and
political activities and details of the Tunisian social fabric in the modern period as reflected
in prisoners’ testimonies, traders’ reports and diplomatic correspondence as well as
research by historians and members of European scientific missions