r/islamichistory

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The Arcadian Library is unique in Europe. The 10,000 or so volumes which it owns provide a complete picture of the encounter between two cultures and show how the civilization of the Arab and Islamic worlds was appreciated in the Christian West from the earliest times to the present day. The purpose of this heavily-illustrated survey is to provide an idea of the variety of works, documents, and images which the library holds in different domains. Travel writings prevail, a reflection of the impressions made on Europeans by the vast region centred on Arabia and the Levant and stretching from the Maghreb to South and Central Asia, and of the discoveries they made and the effect of their findings on Western knowledge and sensibility. The section on travellers also includes some of the rarer items in the library - unique manuscripts and maps, colour-plate books, and unpublished letters from figures such as Richard Burton, T.E. Lawrence, and Gertrude Bell. In addition to travel there is a large collection of Turcica, with its rare pamphlets and illustrations; a section on Arab science and medicine which contains priceless incunables of translations of Arabic texts; an important selection of Quran translations and material on Eastern Christianity; documents both published and unpublished on the Arabs in Spain and the influence of the tradition they established on early modern Spain and the rest of Europe; numerous products of oriental scholarship and, finally, works of oriental literature which include, besides translations from Turkish and Persian, unpublished manuscripts, and splendidly illustrated copies of The Arabian Nights.

Over 200 illustrations of some of the finest items in the library, including four 8-page fold-outs, complement the text. The bibliography, running to almost 2000 entries, gives an overview of some of the most important items in the library.

Review
...lavish study of the Arcadian Library ... As readers discover the knowledge assembled in the collection, it can start to flow and spread through our consciousness, altering many received ideas about the relations between East and West. ― Marina Warner, Times Literary Supplement

It is difficult to convey how unusually beautiful the books in the Arcadian Library series are, how they reproduce and communicate a neglected history of contact in numerous spheres of activity, and how they testify to the collection's commitment to the tradition of book-making as a historical art ... ― Marina Warner, Times Literary Supplement

Impressive...it is good to have this record of a great private collection, along with illustrations of superb quality. ― Farzaneh Pirouz, The Art Newspaper
About the Author

Alastair Hamilton, former Louise Thijssen-Schoute Professor of the History of Ideas at Leiden University and Professor emeritus of the History of the Radical Reformation at the University of Amsterdam, is the Arcadian Visiting Research Professor at the School of Advanced Study, London University, Warburg Institute. He is a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy.

Medical dramas are consistently among the most popular and widely watched television shows around the world.
Did you know?
Many of the foundations of modern surgery were significantly advanced by Muslim scholars.
You may already know that Golden Age surgeon Abū al-Qāsim al-Zahrāwī (Albucasis) pioneered numerous surgical procedures and designed over 200 surgical instruments, dramatically advancing the practice of surgery beyond that of antiquity.
What is less well known is that the empirical approach championed by Ibn al-Haytham helped shape the development of the modern scientific method. Over the past two centuries, this evidence-based approach has transformed surgery through advances such as safer anaesthesia, antiseptic and sterile techniques, improved surgical instruments, and continuous clinical innovation.
The contributions of these Muslim polymaths helped lay important intellectual foundations for modern medicine. Their legacy continues to benefit humanity, with countless lives saved through the ongoing advancement of surgical science.

İpşirli Argıt, Rabia Gülnuş Emetullah Sultan, “A Queen-mother and the Ottoman Imperial Harem”.

Betül İpşirli Argıt has demonstrated that Gülnuş Sultan, the mother of Mustafa II and Ahmed III was in fact another Valide Sultan of great importance in the late 17th and 18th centuries.

According to Betül İpşirli Argıt, upon Turhan Sultan’s death in 1683, Gülnuş became the sole authority in the Imperial Harem, and her political power and influence only grew bolder under the sultanates of her two sons, despite the political instability and depositions of both of her sons. (She would pass away before her second son Ahmed III was deposed)

Indeed, from 1695 until her death in 1715, Gülnuş Sultan acted as one of the chief royal advisors, a power-broker in contemporary court politics as well as a key intermediary agent of diplomacy, as exemplified by her personal involvement and correspondence in the traffic of the diplomatic relations and negotiations during the so-called Great Northern War between Russia and Sweden (King Charles XII of Sweden fled to the Ottoman Empire in 1709 and he worked aggressively to persuade Sultan Ahmed III to attack Tsar Peter the Great) —a conflict to which the Ottoman Empire was drawn as an ally of Swedish. (Explained in great detail in Dilek Seniha Cenez’s work: 18. Yüzyılda bir devlet adamı: Çorlulu Ali Paşa)

She authored the definitive study "A Queen Mother and the Ottoman Imperial Harem: Rabia Gülnuş Emetullah Valide Sultan (1640–1715)", published in the Oxford University Press volume Concubines and Courtesans: Women and Slavery in Islamic History.

Her research challenges the narrative that female political power in the Ottoman Empire sharply declined after the mid 17th century after Turhan Sultan, and Gülnus was another key figure of the "Sultanate of Women". By analyzing the life of Rabia Gülnuş Emetullah, she demonstrates that late 17th and early 18th century Ottoman Valide Sultans continued to possess extraordinary social, architectural, and political authority.

According to Ispirli Argit, Gülnus was deeply involved in state affairs, acting as a critical bridge between her sons and the imperial court. She used her alliances to influence the appointments and dismissals of Grand Viziers and other high-ranking officials. Gülnus did not shy away from international relations, going as far as corresponding directly with foreign statesmen and rulers during major conflicts like the Great Northern War.

She channeled vast amounts of personal wealth into large-scale charitable endowments (waqfs). This included funding hospitals, mosques, and soup kitchens not just in Istanbul, but also along the pilgrimage route to Mecca and Medina.

Muzaffer Özgüleş has accordingly dubbed her “one of the most influential of Ottoman royal women”, due to her prolonged prestige and standing as Haseki and Valide Sultan.

Gülnüş Sultan was not the first Ottoman imperial woman to build a hospital in Makkah, following in the footsteps of another haseki, Hürrem Sultan. However, unlike Hurrem Sultan, Gülnüş Sultan’s dar al-shifa (hospital) in 1679 is less popular.

Historian Muzaffer Özgüleş dedicated his 2017 book “Female Patronage and the Architectural Legacy of Gülnuş Sultan” to Gülnuş Sultan.

Baltacı Mehmed Pasha: Gülnus was a key supporter of his. During his tenure, she directly received and reviewed letters regarding his military campaigns and political standing. Baltaci Mehmed Pasha (1704–1706, 1710–1711) famously led the Ottoman forces to a major victory over Peter the Great during the Prut River Campaign in 1711. He successfully encircled the Russian army, forcing Russia to return the fortress of Azov.

Merve Karacay Turkal, The Dismissal process of Baltaci Mehmed Pasha and the Letter sent to Valide Gülnus Sultan

Çorlulu Ali Pasha: Supported by the Valide Gülnus Sultan until his downfall, he was Ahmed III's chosen Grand Vizier early in the reign, managing the treasury and stabilizing the government. Appointed early in Ahmed's reign, he was instrumental in reorganizing the treasury, stabilizing the government against rival factions, and managing early diplomatic relations with Sweden and Europe.

Dilek Seniha Cenez, 18. Yüzyılda bir devlet adamı: Çorlulu Ali Paşa (1706-1710)

On this day, 839 years ago, on 4th July 1187 CE, the Muslims achieved victory at the Battle of Ḥiṭṭīn under the leadership of Ṣalāḥuddīn al-Ayyūbī (raḥimahullāh), defeating the Crusader army and paving the way for the liberation of al-Masjid al-Aqṣā three months later.

A reminder that all occupation, oppression, and injustice will come to an end. Just as Ṣalāḥuddīn al-Ayyūbī (raḥimahullāh) defeated the Crusaders after 88 years of tyranny, we ask Allah to lift oppression and injustice from the Ummah, and liberate al-Masjid al-Aqṣā.

https://x.com/alifewithallah/status/2073373722367430728?s=46&t=V4TqIkKwXmHjXV6FwyGPfg

Madinah al-Munawwarah — Two Minarets That No Longer Stand

This Ottoman-era view of Madinah's old city walls captures two minarets of Masjid al-Nabawi rising above the rooftops — neither of which exists today.

The minaret on the right was al-Shukayliyya, standing over Bab Umar (the Gate of Umar) on the mosque's northern wall. The one beside it was al-Aziziyya, built under Sultan Abd al-Aziz, standing over Bab Uthman (the Gate of Uthman).

Both gates were added in Sultan Abd al-Majid's 19th-century rebuild of the mosque. Both minarets were demolished during the first Saudi expansion (1370s AH / 1951–1955 CE) and replaced by the two northern minarets standing in their place today.

https://x.com/muslimlandmarks/status/2073059539654431022?s=46&t=V4TqIkKwXmHjXV6FwyGPfg

The Noble Sanctuary is a marvelous book—a photographic and historical journey through the inside of Al-Aqsa Mosque’s 144 dunums. Beautiful visuals are coupled with short and precise historical descriptions, offering readers a rewarding voyage into extensive history, delightful architecture, and inner spirituality in an eye-popping layout.

The book covers all the major buildings as well as the many minor monuments that are scattered around the holy esplanade. There are a total of 115 sites and structures that have been documented in this book. Bashar has excelled in using the exceptional practices of architectural photography to produce aesthetically pleasing and accurate photographs, giving representational justice as well as beauty to these sites. He has also included many drawings and illustrations to offer a fully comprehensive depiction of the holy sanctuary.

This coffee-table book is the joint project of an experienced photographer and an authoritative historian. Bashar Tabbah is a Jordanian-British photographer based in Amman, whose previous book on Jordan, A Map & A Lens: Jordan, Sights Unseen and Stories Untold, was well received. His second book about Jordan’s World Heritage Sites is the best on UNESCO sites in Jordan. Robert Schick is an archaeologist and a historian of the Byzantine and Islamic periods, with a special interest in the city of Jerusalem during the Islamic periods.

Both the photographer and the historian have worked diligently on this book. Given the sensitivity and the complexity of Al-Aqsa Mosque history, the book is fair, inclusive, and attentive to accuracy and well-sounded historical narratives. Academics, researchers, tourists, and worshipers will be pleased to have this resource available to them. It can be used as a quick reference, a detailed guide of the holy place, or simply as a beautiful gift or memorable reminder of their visit to Al-Quds. Local Palestinians can rest assured that the past history and current realities of this place are well presented. Their most iconic building, the center of gravity for Palestinian identity and faith, is well documented.

It is almost unbelievable that very few books on Al-Aqsa Mosque are actually available. Particularly at time when Islamic tourism is increasing and the demand for printed materials on the Islamic holy sites is mounting, this book is a welcome addition and will surely be a handy resource for tour guides who are keen to tell the true and authentic Islamic history of the place.
The book was printed in Jordan and produced by the photographer himself with the help of many individuals. To protect the independence of the project, the photographer avoided mainstream publishers and managed to implement a successful online crowdfunding campaign to raise advance funding that helped the project to materialize. This book is unique, pleasing to the eye, and very informative. Palestinians and their friends alike will enjoy placing a copy of it center-stage atop their coffee table.

https://thisweekinpalestine.com/the-noble-sanctuary/

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https://x.com/almaqamat\_/status/2073325707376123989?s=46&t=V4TqIkKwXmHjXV6FwyGPfg

In the wider context of the 1992–1995 Bosnian War, the broader campaign of ethnic cleansing resulted in the deaths of over 100,000 people across Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Under the direction of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), supervised by then-DG ISI General Javed Nasir, Pakistan covertly airlifted weapons to the Army of the Republic of Bosnia. Pakistan supplied advanced military equipment, including sophisticated Baktar-Shikan anti-tank guided missiles. These weapons played a crucial role in Turning the Tide helping the Bosniaks defend against and destroy Serbian armored divisions. Pakistani soldiers maintained their positions to protect civilians, clear fields of landmines, and manage large-scale camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs). Multiple Pakistani soldiers lost their lives serving in this mission

The International Criminal Tribunal in Hague demanded custody for questioning and deposition as a key witness regarding the flow of arms into the conflict zone for ISI chief for arming Bosnians despite arms embargo and demanded he be handed to tribunal for interrogation. Islamabad refused saying General had lost his memory in an accident and is therefore unfit for Trial

What happened to Lakshadweep in June 2021 is a brutal case of state-sponsored cultural warfare and forced territorial replacement. For over 13 centuries, this remote Arabian Sea archipelago survived as a self-sustaining, 96% Muslim sanctuary. The local population integrated Islamic law with unique regional traditions, maintaining an isolated existence that outlasted Portuguese raids and British colonial exploitation. However, the appointment of a radical outsider administrator marked the beginning of an aggressive campaign to systematically dismantle the Islamic fabric of the islands and force-feed Hinduist dominance to the native population.

The invasion struck the core of Muslim religious identity and daily survival first. In a textbook move of Hindu terrorism, the state introduced a total beef ban. In a territory where beef is a vital staple food, having a piece of meat on your plate became a crime punishable by up to life imprisonment. To target the next generation, the administration went further, purging meat from school lunches and closing down local dairy farms to force a Hindu-aligned dietary standard onto Muslim children.

Next came the destruction of the community rhythm. The state aggressively abolished Friday as the weekly school holiday, a tradition that had existed for generations to accommodate Jummah prayers. By forcing a shift to Sunday, they deliberately shattered the religious and social routine of the islands. This was quickly backed by linguistic engineering, where the traditional teaching of Arabic and the native Mahala language was stripped from the school curriculum to be replaced by Hindi, aiming to erase the historical tongue of the islanders.

The cultural erasure immediately turned into physical eviction. Under the pretext of new coastal and land laws, government bulldozers were deployed to smash the sheds and properties of indigenous Muslim fishermen, crippling their livelihoods. While local homes and businesses were being systematically demolished, the administration simultaneously lifted a forty-seven-year faith-based prohibition on alcohol. They allowed liquor licenses for resorts to cater to wealthy corporate outsiders, turning a sacred dry territory into a playground while seizing ancestral lands.

This is a real case of state-driven demographic and cultural replacement happening right in front of us. While right-wing figures across the West scream about fictional threats to their culture (while at the same time taking money from sheikhs from the UAE who belong to that very same culture that is hostile to them), a real, documented erasure of Islamic history is being executed through state power, corporate greed, and bulldozer politics.

References

Al Jazeera — Residents of India’s Lakshadweep islands resent gov’t’s new moves

The Hindu — Supreme Court dismisses appeal against meat ban in Lakshadweep school mid-day meal menu

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