Cultural Insights from Arabic Poetry in the Cairo Genizah

Abstract

Unlike other Genizah writings, such as letters or legal documents, poetry offers a flexible medium for expressing emotions and relationships. Rooted in ancient Arabic oral traditions, colloquial Arabic poetry exemplifies oral recitation remaining central to cultural transmission and identity formation even after poetry began to be preserved in written forms. This article studies examples of Arabic poetry in the Cairo Genizah that are cultural expressions, with a particular focus on folk and colloquial Arabic poetry. These poetic texts are considered cultural artifacts that reflect human experience and social dynamics within the Jewish community of medieval and Ottoman Egypt. By analyzing the content and context of these poems, the article explores their purpose

, audiences, and societal roles. The analysis offers insight into the everyday experiences and expressions of this community. Themes of oral performance, epics, morality, cultural transmission, and food make Arabic poetry in the Cairo Genizah a critical source for understanding cultural practices, both collective and individual, and notions of belonging in medieval and Ottoman Egypt.