Gamal al-Ghitani as a writer and historian

this study focuses on the multifaceted literary legacy of Egyptian writer Gamal al-Ghitani, one of the key figures in the intellectual prose of the 20th-century Arab world. The aim of the article is to identify the primary mechanisms of interaction between traditional Arabic narrative forms and postmodern literary practices as realized in the author’s work. Special attention is given to the novel Zayni Barakat, in which a chronicle-based historical structure is used as a metaphor for the political realities of contemporary Egypt. Through analysis of the novel’s form, language, and motifs, the paper explores the potential of the historical novel as a tool for social critique and spiritual reinterpretation of the past. The research objectives include: interpretation of chronicle elements and allusions to political violence, study of the influence of Sufi philosophy on al-Ghitani’s literary thinking, and exploration of how classical texts are transformed under modern sociocultural conditions. The practical significance of the study lies in its applicability to academic courses in Oriental Studies, literary theory, and cultural studies, as well as in the training of specialists in Arabic language and literature. The article may also serve as a basis for future research into postcolonial thought and literary forms in Arabic prose.

Gamal al-Ghitani, Arabic literature, historical allegory, Oriental studies, Egyptian prose, Sufism, postmodernism