Department of Anthropology of the East

IOS RAS

News

24 марта 2025 года

Islam and Oral Historical Traditions of Mali

Islam and Oral Historical Traditions of Mali Islam and Oral Historical Traditions of Mali

 
On March 24, 2025, the Department of Anthropology of the East held a regular seminar "Ex Oriente lux", at which Leading Research Fellow, Prof. Petr Kutsenkov presented his new article on the connection between Islam and pre-Islamic cultures in West Africa. 

The participants of the seminar discussed aspects of the interaction between Islam and traditional cultures in the region, and came to the conclusion that this relationship resulted in the formation of a specific synthetic culture. During the discussion of the article, examples of the coexistence of Muslims and indigenous religions believers were given, as well as the influence of modernity on traditions. In addition, the participants considered the historical and cultural interactions between Islam and other religions, especially during the colonial period.