The loving heart

Author's name: Marilyn Yalomdar Publisher: Ibn Al-Nadim for Publishing and Distribution Year of publication: 2025 Literary classification: Human Sciences Brief about the book: Following the relationship between the heart and love led me to paths I did not expect beforehand: how philosophers and doctors discussed the functions of the heart, how the heart was sometimes buried separately from the body, and how Catholics and Protestants used the heart for religious purposes. It is clear that the way authors and artists in many cultures discussed and depicted the heart is more than one person can explore in their lifetime. Nevertheless, a selected collection of these topics brings us closer to that mysterious, multifaceted phenomenon which we envelop within the framework of the word "love." It is not surprising that the heart is associated with love. Everyone who loves knows that their heart beats faster when they see the person who shines in their romantic imagination. And if, by bad luck, that person is lost, they feel pain in their chest. "I feel my heart heavy" or "my heart is broken" are the phrases we say when love turns against us. Since when has the heart been associated with love? When did the icon of the heart originate? How did it spread worldwide? What does it tell us about the meaning of love across different eras and places? How did different religions deal with the loving heart? These are some of the questions I try to answer in this book.