Dr. Oumelbanine Zhiri

Biography

Oumelbanine Zhiri studies early modern culture in Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. Her research interests encompass Arab and European literatures, particularly in the context of Orientalism, travel accounts, geography, and science and technology studies, alongside practices of philology and the history of early modern empires. She teaches courses on French and Arabic literature as well as world history theories. Zhiri has published several significant works including "Orientalism: Ahmad ibn Qâsim al-Hajarî in Europe and North Africa" (University of California Press, 2023), alongside edited volumes and numerous articles addressing the complexities of early modern imperial narratives and representations. Her academic contributions engage deeply with the intersections of culture, ideology, and literature in the context of historical empires and their legacies. Through her teaching and research, she aims to shed light on the multifaceted relationships between different cultures, particularly through the lenses of literature and historical discourse. She is fluent in English, Arabic, French, Spanish, and Latin, allowing her to explore and teach diverse cultural texts and contexts.

Research Interests