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A tolerant Shia rival to the Sunni caliphs
John Merrington
Danny Bird You open your book by recounting a chance visit to an old mosque in Cyprus. What was so significant about that moment? Tharik Hussain Nothing changed for me on the day itself, because I kne
The sufferings of Afghanistan, and of those who invade it
The poor citizens of Al-Jazira al-Khadra never knew what hit them. In 859, an unfamiliar fleet sailed into the bay separating this Muslim settlement – which later evolved into the city of Algeciras, n
American footballers have shoulders artificially enlarged by statement armour; tailors in Naples don’t use shoulder padding, preferring a more easy-going look, flattering the body rather than exaggera
In 1494, the high castle walls that had dominated the Middle Ages came tumbling down in clouds of gunpowder smoke. It was the start of a new age
The secret meaning of Vermeer’s art