Author : Stéphane Pradines
Publisher : Institut français d'archéologie orientale du Caire - IFAO
ISBN 13 : 9782724707656
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (76 download)
Book Synopsis Ports and Fortifications in the Muslim World by : Stéphane Pradines
Download or read book Ports and Fortifications in the Muslim World written by Stéphane Pradines and published by Institut français d'archéologie orientale du Caire - IFAO. This book was released on 2020 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ports have been extremely important locations in Muslim memory since the time of the Prophet. Islam was spread through trading networks such as the overland Silk Road and the maritime Spice Route, and also by pilgrimage that combined travel by land with sea voyages. The coast is a contact zone between land and sea. A distinct coastal culture develops in ports, since they are stops on travel routes and centers of contact and exchange between civilizations. Fortifications were built at ports to protect trade as well as safeguard the traders and the merchandise. These fortifications played an active role in the economy, both as fortified gateways serving as customs houses and as city walls enclosing cargo depots. The walls and citadels of coastal cities were major symbols of prestige and wealth. Politically, ports are strategic points subject to conquest. The study of coastal military architecture helps us to understand the Muslim expansion from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean on the longue duree from the Arab conquest to the Ottoman period.