Middle East: Islam to 1500

This course will deal with the history of Islamic civilization in the imperial ages with a focus on Islamic Spain from 711-1492. It will also provide a general developmental outline of Islamic civilization from the advent of the Prophet Muhammad to the political and economic advances of the Muslims during the period between 600-1500 C.E. The Islamic empires once expanded form Western Arabia to the present map of the Middle East and North Africa, as well as parts of Asia, Tropical Africa and Southern and Eastern Europe. Their diverse population shared a common acceptance of faith, culture, and Islamic law.