Islamic empires fifteen cities that define a civilization
Islamic civilization was once the envy of the world. From a succession of glittering, cosmopolitan capitals, Islamic empires ruled over the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and swathes of the Indian subcontinent. For centuries the caliphate was both ascendant on the battlefield and triumphant...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
UK b Allen Lane an imprint of Penguin Books
2019
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| Summary: | Islamic civilization was once the envy of the world. From a succession of glittering, cosmopolitan capitals, Islamic empires ruled over the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and swathes of the Indian subcontinent. For centuries the caliphate was both ascendant on the battlefield and triumphant in the battle of ideas, its cities unrivalled powerhouses of artistic grandeur, commercial power, spiritual sanctity and forward thinking. Islamic Empires is a history of this rich and diverse civilization told through its greatest cities over fifteen centuries, from the beginnings of Islam in Mecca in the seventh century to the astonishing rise of Doha in the twenty-first. Over this millenium and a half, the Muslim world was led by a series of remarkable dynasties - the Abbasids of Baghdad, the Umayyads of Damascus and Cordoba, the Marinids of Fez, the Ottomans of Istanbuls, the Mughals of India and the Safavids of Isfahan - and by some of the most charismatic leaders in history, from Saladin in Cairo and mighty Tamerlane of Samarkand to the poet-prince Babur in his mountain kingdom of Kabul and the irrepressible Maktoums of Dubai. The book brilliantly describes all these great dynasties and their capitals at defining moments in Islamic history. Weaving a grand narrative of glory and destructive, Islamic Empires is a timely reminder of the greatness of Islamic civilization. |
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| Physical Description: | xxiii, 440 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates illustrations (chiefly color), maps 24 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index |
| ISBN: | 9780241199046 (hbk) 0241199042 (hbk) |