This book traces the historical development of Islamic regions and dynasties, highlighting their diversity of artistic expression from the inception of the faith until the present day. Its pages unveil the rich creativity of Islamic art and architecture, from the works of the Umayyad in Syria to the Mughals of India, from the Ottoman empire, right through to modern contemporary art.

"Translation from German: George Ansell, Anthe Bell, Richard Elliott, Phil Goddard, Harriet Horsfield, Michele McMeekin, Martin Pearce and Anthony Vivis in association with First Editions Translations Ltd, Cambridge UK"--Colophon.

General map -- Islam: world religion and cultural power / Markus Hattstein -- Art and culture in the Islamic world / Oleg Grabar -- Syria and Palestine: the Umayyad caliphate / Volkmar Enderlein -- Iraq, Iran, and Egypt: the Abbasids / Sheila Blair, Jonathan Bloom -- Tunisia and Egypt: the Aghlabids and Fatimids / Sibylle Mazot -- Syria, Palestine, and Egypt: Ayyubids, Mamluks, and Crusaders -- Spain and Morocco -- The Maghreb: from Morocco to Tunisia -- Early empires of the East: Ghaznavids and Ghurids / Sheila Blair, Jonathan Bloom -- Central Asia and Asia Minor: the great Seljuks, the Anatolian Seljuks, and the Khwarazm-Shahs -- Islamic Mongols: from the Mongol invasions to the Ilkhanids / Sheila Blair, Jonathan Bloom -- Central Asia: the Timurids, the Shaybanids, and the Khan princedoms -- India: from Sultanate to Mughal Empire / Philippa Vaughan -- Iran: Safavids and Qajars -- The Ottoman Empire -- Islam in the modern age -- Appendix.