Farida (singer)
Faridah (Arabic: فريدة born c. 830) was an ‘Abbasid qayna (enslaved singing-girl), who performed in the court of caliph Al-Wathiq (r. 842–847) and Al-Mutawakkil (r. 847–861).[1]
Faridah فريدة | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 830 Abbasid Caliphate |
| Died | Samarra, Abbasid Caliphate |
| Resting place | Samarra |
| Occupation | Qiyan |
| Language | Arabic |
| Nationality | Caliphate |
| Period | Abbasid Era |
| Spouse | al-Mutawakkil (m. 847) |
Originally a singing-girl belonging to the musician Amr ibn Bana, Farida was presented as a gift to Al-Wathiq.[1] She studied with Shāriyah, and achieved prominence at the courts of both Al-Wathiq and his successor Al-Mutawakkil. An admirer of Ishaq al-Mawsili, she defended his reputation when it was attacked.[2]
Al-Mutawakkil's only wife was Faridah. She belonged to the household of his brother Caliph al-Wathiq, who kept her as a concubine and favorite although she belonged to the singer Amr ibn Banah. When al-Wathiq died, Amr presented her to al-Mutawakkil. He married her, and she became one of his favorites.[3]
References
- Commire, Anne; Klezmer, Deborah, eds. (2006). "Farida (c. 830–?)". Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages.
- Farmer, Henry George. A history of Arabian music to the XIIIth century. pp. 162–3.
- Ibn al-Sāʿī 2017, p. 53.
Sources
- Ibn al-Sāʿī (2017). Consorts of the Caliphs: Women and the Court of Baghdad. Translated by Shawkat M. Toorawa and the Editors of the Library of Arabic Literature. Introduction by Julia Bray, Foreword by Marina Warner. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 978-1-4798-0477-1.
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