Database: Majlis (Intellectual Salons)

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Bowl with a Majlis Scene By a Pool / 1186, Iran

Entertainment took many forms at the Abbasid court, from elaborate falcon hunting expeditions to buffoons being catapulted into pools! But one type of event epitomized the period: the intellectual salon, or majlis.

Used to describe both the social gathering and the location where it took place, a typical majlis featured intellectual debates, musical performance, poetry recitation, and wine-drinking. Salons were held in various venues, from caliphal gardens to elite estates. Caliphs sometimes presided over them, but ministers and courtiers were also keen to show their sophistication by hosting their own events.

A majlis was indeed an opportunity for refined entertainment for members of the elite, as well as a chance for the guest performers to draw the attention of these elites. Through magisterial lessons on astronomy, lively debates between Muslims and non-Muslims on religious tenets, or free-flowing discussions full of witty repartees and crude sexual jokes, newcomers could expect to make themselves known. Instant fame and fabulous wealth were on the line, in the form of sponsorship for one’s work or even a permanent position as a caliphal scholar.