---
product_id: 180972474
title: "Islamic Empires: The Cities that Shaped Civilization: From Mecca to Dubai Hardcover – February 4, 2020"
brand: "justin marozzi"
price: "₨2166"
currency: SCR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.sc/products/180972474-islamic-empires-the-cities-that-shaped-civilization-from-mecca-to
store_origin: SC
region: Seychelles
---

# Islamic Empires: The Cities that Shaped Civilization: From Mecca to Dubai Hardcover – February 4, 2020

**Brand:** justin marozzi
**Price:** ₨2166
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Islamic Empires: The Cities that Shaped Civilization: From Mecca to Dubai Hardcover – February 4, 2020 by justin marozzi
- **How much does it cost?** ₨2166 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sc](https://www.desertcart.sc/products/180972474-islamic-empires-the-cities-that-shaped-civilization-from-mecca-to)

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## Description

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ essential reading for Islamic studies
*by D***N on August 14, 2020*

This is one of the best books written on the history of Islamic empires, from the perspective of the cities that served as imperial capitals. Justin Marozzi is a journalist who brings a lively writing style and a deep knowledge of Islam and history to his book. Each chapter is richly embellished with both long historical sweeps and personal stories of the people who inhabited these cities. The tales involve both terrible tragedy (plague, invasion, and bad rulers) along with incredible progress in science and the arts that marked all of these cities. Marozzi brings these cities to life, adding to my own experiences of walking the streets of Damascus, Jerusalem, Cairo, Fez, Constantinople, Dubai, and Doha. I have read hundreds of books on Islam and Islamic history during my profession, but this one goes to the top of my list as essential reading.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best Book I've Read in Ages
*by N***G on October 15, 2020*

The author of this non-fiction book writes fifteen chapters, each following the fortunes of a major Islamic city over the course of a century. The first city is Mecca, and the last is Doha. The writing is fluid and easy, though there are a lot of players I have never heard before; Marozzi (the suthor) include and excellent index so that the reader can look up unfamiliar names.Each chapter is about 25 pages. Excellent book, with photos in the center of the book.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Interesting but at times misses the mark
*by M***H on April 15, 2021*

The general structure of this book, and most of its chapters, is pretty straightforward. Each chapter discusses a new city in a new century, starting in the 7th and working its way up to present day. In most chapters, the author discusses the historic origins of the city, focuses on its rapid development and monument building by its leaders, and the political and economic intrigue of the time. The main point is to show how grand these civilizations were! And grand they were. Then, there’s some wrap up of the main figures discussed and the future of the city. Often, this will bleed past the end of the century, which is quite nice as it makes for a better story. There’s a ton of primary sources referenced and lots of color provided about each city.However, there are really two ways this book falls short. The first is when the author steps away from this formula. After being thoroughly engrossed in the history of Córdoba, for example, he spends the chapter on Samarkand as exclusively a biography of Timur (which he has previously written a book on); the chapter on Constantinople is mostly a play-by-play account of the successful 1453 siege by the Ottomans, and other middle chapters (Cairo, Fez, Kabul) tend to become too narrow in focus. He later returns to the formula in fashion starting with Tripoli, although the Isfahan chapter is good. The problem for me was that, while individual events are interesting, it’s a strange tone switch from the other parts of the book that are more grand and sweeping in their storytelling. I felt like I missed out on a lot of key points that were provided in other chapters.This really comes into force when considering the second problem for this book: it really could’ve used some additional editing. The author has a penchant for listing out every single possible thing that was traded, every religious group in town, every 3rd concubine of the caliph’s great-grandson, etc etc. When it’s contained in a sweeping narrative, it’s a bit of a mess to work through but it’s manageable since it adds color and texture to the story. Instead, when it’s applied to the very small particulars of a battle or an overwrought storyline, it becomes a real slog to work through. I love detail, but even this was at times too much.Overall, it’s a good read. I think he approaches colonialism with a good touch and properly addresses problems with Western cultural anecdotes of the region. I learned a lot about the different empires, and some of the chapters (Cordoba, Dubai, Baghdad) are really fascinating. But, if you’re looking for a breezy read, this isn’t it.

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*Product available on Desertcart Seychelles*
*Store origin: SC*
*Last updated: 2026-02-28*