Muslims Of Medieval Italy

A general historical introduction to the Muslims of Medieval Italy which presents specific information regarding social, religious, administrative, political, cultural, artistic and intellectual questions.

Muslims in Medieval Italy: The Colony at Lucera is the history of a Muslim colony in the southern Italian city of Lucera during the Middle Ages. Author Julie Taylor draws on a vast array of primary sources, unpublished manuscripts, and archeological data to provide a detailed account of the lives of Muslims against the backdrop of the social and political complexities of medieval Lucera. Taylor's work illuminates the legal and social status of Muslims in Christendom and the contributions made by Muslims to the economy and defense of the kingdom of Sicily, and it also yields noteworthy insights into Muslim-Christian relations. Muslims in Medieval Italy is a thoroughly researched and absorbing account.

In the early Middle Ages, Italy became the target of Muslim expansionist campaigns. The Muslims conquered Sicily, ruling there for more than two centuries, and conducted many raids against the Italian Peninsula. During this period, however, Christians and Muslims were not always at war - trade flourished, and travel to the territories of the 'other' was not uncommon. By examining how Muslims and Christians perceived each other and how they communicated, this book brings the relationship between Muslims and Christians in early medieval Italy into clearer focus, showing that the followers of the Cross and those of the Crescent were in reality not as ignorant of one another as is commonly believed.

In the early Middle Ages (ninth to eleventh centuries), Italy became the target of Muslim campaigns. The Muslims conquered Sicily, ruled her for more than two centuries, and conducted many raids against the Italian Peninsula. During that period, however, Christians and Muslims did not always fight each other. Indeed, sometimes they traded with the ‘other’ and visited the lands of the ‘other’. By presenting the annotated English translation of the early medieval primary sources about how Muslims and Christians perceived each other, the circulation of news about them, and their knowledge of their opponents, this book aims to clarify the relationship between Muslims and Christians in early medieval Italy. Moreover, it proves that in that period the faithful of the Cross and those of the Crescent were not so ignorant of one another as is commonly believed. Christians and Muslims in Early Medieval Italy: A Sourcebook is the ideal resource for upper-level undergraduates, postgraduates, and scholars interested in the relationships between Christians and Muslims in medieval Italy and the Mediterranean.

An innovative study which explores how the presence of Muslim communities transformed Europe and stimulated Christian society to define itself.

In the early Middle Ages, Italy became the target of Muslim expansionist campaigns. The Muslims conquered Sicily, ruling there for more than two centuries, and conducted many raids against the Italian Peninsula. During this period, however, Christians and Muslims were not always at war – trade flourished, and travel to the territories of the ‘other’ was not uncommon. By examining how Muslims and Christians perceived each other and how they communicated, this book brings the relationship between Muslims and Christians in early medieval Italy into clearer focus, showing that the followers of the Cross and those of the Crescent were in reality not as ignorant of one another as is commonly believed.

Western Views of Islam in Medieval and Early Modern Europe considers the various attitudes of European religious and secular writers towards Islam during the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period. Examining works from England, France, Italy, the Holy Lands, and Spain, the essays in this volume explore the reactions of Westerners to the culture and religion of Islam. Many of the works studied reveal the hostility toward Islam of Europeans and the creation of negative stereotypes of Muslims by Western writers. These essays also reveal attempts at accommodation and understanding that stand in contrast to the prevailing hostility that existed then and, in some ways, exists still today.

This book is a unique collection of alternative Muslim voices, predominantly from Europe, who come from a variety of backgrounds - academia, theology, acting, activism - and who make a transformational contribution to the debate of the future of Islam and Muslims in the West.