Does the notion of Mediterranean improve our understanding of the medieval period? From the perspective of the Maghrib (North Africa), it is not immediately obvious how to answer such a basic question, although the consensus among specialists is that the usefulness of the Mediterranean is beyond doubt. A careful examination of the evolution of the concept of Mediterranean in the historiography of the medieval Maghrib situates the enthusiasm for the category and enables an evaluation of its critical potential, especially in relation to the prevailing rethinking of the Mediterranean that has been ongoing for the last few decades.
Bio: RAMZI ROUIGHI is a historian of the medieval Maghrib. His first book, entitled The Making of a Mediterranean Emirate, focuses on the politics surrounding the migration of Andalusians to Tunis and its region in the thirteenth century. His current project examines how the Berbers came to be the original inhabitants of North Africa. In addition to these books, his work has explored a number of topics ranging from couscous to rabbits. He teaches football fans and players at the University of Southern California.
