Agency and the roles of Southern Jordanian Bedouin women on pilgrimage and visiting holy sites

Authors

• Päivi Miettunen Finnish Institute in the Middle East

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30664/ar.70428

Keywords:

Pilgrimage, Women, Islam, Agency, Shrines

Abstract

In the Islamic world, numerous shrines shape and define its spiritual landscapes. While some of the shrines are tombs and memorials of major religious and historical figures, a majority of the sites are dedicated to ancestors of the local families and tribes. They function as centres of the religious community, but they also provide a secluded location for private spiritual visits and individual prayers. Women have participated in public rituals also, but it is in the private religious sphere that the women have created a space for independent religious action, connected, and yet separate from their mundane roles.