Encounters

Medieval Islamic History in 50 Objects

Marcus Milwright

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English

Routledge
27 October 2025

European history; Medieval history; Archaeological theory; History of religion; Islam

Series: Encounters: in 50 Objects

This book consists of fifty case studies and offers an innovative approach to the study of Medieval Islamic history, concentrating on the analysis of physical objects from the seventh to the eighteenth centuries and across most of the regions that make up the pre-Modern Islamic world.

These include a wide range of objects from portable items like coins, vessels and books to major constructions, including mosques, tombs, castles, dams, and canal systems. The central argument is that the interdisciplinary study of physical objects provides invaluable perspectives that can deepen or challenge the evidence in the written record. Object-based study can also shed light on the lives of social groups who are seldom discussed in Islamic texts written before the modern period. To demonstrate these points, each case study focusses on a single object or small group of related objects. The case studies combine close analysis of the material and visual characteristics with a discussion of the wider context in which such objects were commissioned, made, used, adapted and exchanged.

The book is intended as an introduction to the historical study of Islamic objects, employing perspectives from the fields of art history, archaeology, numismatics, ethnography, and epigraphy. Written with a minimum of technical language and supported by a critical introduction, an extensive glossary, a timeline and guide for further reading, the book is aimed at students and general readers who are interested in the political, economic, social, cultural, religious and intellectual histories of the Islamic world.

Edited by: Marcus Milwright
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 740g
ISBN: 9781032537016
ISBN 10: 1032537019
Series: Encounters: in 50 Objects
Pages: 354
Publication Date: 27 October 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Marcus Milwright is a British Academy Global Professor in the Department of History of Art, University of York (UK) and Professor of Islamic art at the University of Victoria (Canada). His research interests include the arts and archaeology of the Islamic world, traditional crafts practices, cross-cultural interaction in the Medieval period, and the history of medicine. Publications include A Story of Islamic Art (2023), The Queen of Sheba’s Gift: A History of the True Balsam of Matarea (2022) and The Dome of the Rock and its Umayyad Mosaic Inscriptions (2016).

Reviews for Encounters: Medieval Islamic History in 50 Objects

“Encounters: Medieval Islamic History in 50 Objects offers an insightful and richly illustrated introduction to the history and material cultures of the medieval Muslim world. In a very accessible manner, the book discusses a wide array of intriguing objects—from household utensils, through books, coins and other precious objects, to imperial and religious architecture. It makes that history almost tangible.” Dr Jelle Bruning, University Lecturer at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies “This thoughtful, erudite collection of essays brings fresh perspectives to a diverse range of medieval Islamic objects and buildings. Rigorously researched and lucidly written, the book’s chapters contextualise Islamic material culture in accessible and engaging ways. Compelling reading for students and scholars eager to broaden and deepen their knowledge of this fascinating period of Islamic history.” Cailah Jackson, KRC Research Associate