¿Fuera de casa y dentro de ella?:el uso normativo y popular del velo entre las mujeres del reino nazarí de Granada

Abstract

The physical veiling of women –both in public urban spaces and in private ones in the presence of some men– and their seclusion were two daily customs that the shari‘a, according to its interpretation of the founding texts of Islam, established for the female individuals of pre-modern Islamic societies. This measure was destined to protect their physical integrity and, in consequence, the honor of their families (sharaf). According to the sources of the time, the fulfillment of both requirements, which were assumed as natural behaviors of daily life, was generally respected in the particular case of the Nasrid kingdom of Granada (13th-15th centuries). Throughout these pages we will illustrate with anecdotes extracted from diverse Arabic sources how Nasrid women always used the veil in their daily lives in the indicated circumstances, except for some «slips» in the feminine observance of this custom, which will be also documented according to the texts.