Medieval Arabic female poets are, compared with the number of known male poets in the medieval Islamic world, few: there has been 'an almost total eclipse of women's poetic expression in the literary record as maintained in Arabic culture from the pre-Islamic era through the nineteenth century'. However, there is evidence that compared with medieval Europe, women's poetry in the medieval Islamic world was 'likely unparalleled' in 'visibility and impact'. Accordingly, recent scholars emphasise that women's contribution to Arabic literature requires greater scholarly attention.