When commentators talk about the relationship, often fraught, between Islam and the west, most start with the mass migration from the Indian subcontinent, North Africa and Middle East to western countries. A few years back, the British foreign secretary announced the greatest culinary delight of the brits was the chicken tikka masala. But many do not recognise the deep, often interconnected relationships between European civilisation and Islamic civilisation and how much Islamic influence contributed to what we today call Romanesque European architecture and broader culture.
My guest today Dr Diana Darke is a historian and Middle East cultural expert who wants to set the record straight. Her notable works include Stealing from the Saracens: How Islamic Architecture Shaped Europe (2020), Islamesque The Forgotten Craftsmen Who Built Europe's Medieval Monuments, and The Merchant of Syria: A History of Survival (2018). In 2005, she purchased a 17th-century courtyard house in the Old City of Damascus, reflecting her deep connection to the region.
You can find Diana Darke here:
Website: https://dianadarke.com/about/
X: https://x.com/dianadarke
Let me remind all viewers that to help us continue to engage critical thought at this time, Please consider becoming a member: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membership
You can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/Donate
Listen to the audio version of the podcast:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vXiAjVFnhNI3T9Gkw636a
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-thinking-muslim/id1471798762
Sign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack.com
Purchase our Thinking Muslim mug: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/merch
Find us on:
Squarespace: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membership
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thinking_muslim
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Thinking-Muslim-Podcast-105790781361490
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkingmuslimpodcast/
Telegram: https://t.me/thinkingmuslim
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thinkingmuslim.bsky.social
Host: https://twitter.com/jalalayn
Host IG: https://www.instagram.com/jalalayns/
Website Archive: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.