Sira shabiyya is a genre in Islamic literature consisting of long heroic narratives. The siras are generally historical fictions that use real historical settings, characters and events while focusing on military exploits, typically written in rhymed prose interspersed with poetry. They are very long, running two to six thousand pages in printed editions, and in oral performance a single sira may be told across sessions stretching over a year.
Facts
Place of Origin Notable Example Defining TraitExtremely long narratives, 2000 to 6000 pages in printed editions, told in oral sessions across a year 2 In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Egypt, originated there.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Arabic epic literature
Popular epic sectionQuote, Popular epic section
Most of the Arabic folk epics, such as Sirat Antara, Sirat Dhat al-Himma, and Sirat Baybars, were composed in the Levant and Egypt in the 12th to 15th centuries
2. Wikipedia: Sira sha'biyya
Examples section, Islamic history subsection
Sirat Amir Hamza, based on Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib
Introduction, sentences on length and performance
In written form, they are 2000-6000 pages in printed editions. In oral performance, sessions may stretch out over a year.
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