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Minarets in the Mountains: A Journey Into Muslim Europe (Bradt Travel Guides (Travel Literature))

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Dawson Minaret - 11,920ft, class 5 A complicated climb from North Notch. See Secor's description for details. The peaks were named in 1868 by the California Geographical Survey, which reported: "To the south of Mount Ritter are some grand pinnacles of granite, very lofty and apparently inaccessible, to which we gave the name of 'the Minarets.'" [6] Bedayan Minaret - 12,080ft, class 4 The Northwest Chute, leading to the notch north of Bedayan, is class 4. The traverse from Rice Minaret is class 3.

Criterion (iv): The Minaret of Jam is an outstanding example of Islamic architecture and ornamentation in the region and played a significant role for further dissemination.Part history lesson, part travelogue and – endearingly – part food journal, local writer Tharik Hussain’s exploration of the Muslim heritage of Europe shines light on a history that has often been denied, supressed or ignored. The Ottoman Empire had absorbed Bosnia by the middle of the 15th century, and the Ottomans were to leave indelible marks on the Balkans for centuries to come. One demonstration of prowess was built in 1566 through the inspired vision of the architect Mimar Hajrudin: the Stari Most, which was, and is again, one of the world’s most imposing bridges, soaring over the Neretva River at Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is cultural and natural beauty in abundance, from Podgorica’s Ottoman Old Town in Montenegro to fortresses in the rugged Albanian mountains to Sarajevo, one of Europe’s great cities, where coffee rules and the places of worship of various religions live happily side by side. Minarets in the Mountains is a travel narrative, but it is also a book about the author himself. Bangladesh born Tharik grew up in 1980’s East London, where he faced his own challenges as an immigrant during a time in which racism and xenophobia was on the rise. The book explores the historic roots of Islamophobia in Europe, as the author grapples with his multi-faceted identity, and considers where he and his mixed race Muslim family (Tharik’s wife, Tamara,is English), fit into modern Europe. In this context, visiting indigenous Muslim communities, who are a part of Europe’s very fabric, becomes more pertinent.

What makes this book unique is that it is written from the perspective of a Muslim in England, writing about “what is generally seen as a white person’s territory”. Hussain’s book is the first account of the Balkans from a Western Muslim, maybe the first since Evilya Çelebi. The Portal, between Michael and Eichorn Minarets, is not really a pass or even a good way to cross the range, but it is a prominent landmark for climbs of these two minarets. The east side of the portal is Amphitheater Chute, a difficult 5.6 climb with horrendously loose talus. The west side is class 4-5 via Michael's or Starr's Chute. Enjoyable and thought-provoking. a refreshing rediscovery of the Muslim history and communities of the Balkans.” Finally,join the Travel Writing World newsletterto receive your free copy of The Travel Writer’s Guidebook. You will also receive quarterly dispatches & reports withpodcast interviews, travel writing resources, & book recommendations. Alternatively, you can join the Genius Loci Newsletter to get monthly roundups of travel writing news. Despite living in Europe for hundreds of years as a dominant civilization in the Iberian Peninsula, as significant minorities in the Western Balkans and for more than half a century as settled modern European citizens, Muslims are largely seen as a recent immigrant presence.

What Is An Arête?

Michael Minaret - 12,240ft, class 4-5 This is an excellent class 4 scramble from the Portal. Pass through the portal to the east side, make an airy traverse around the overhanging east side, then scramble up the north and northwest sides of Michael Minaret to the summit. This minaret looks impossibly steep when viewed from Clyde Minaret's summit. Rice Minaret - 12,160ft, class 4 Take the left branch up Starr's Chute. The traverse from Bedayan, done on the west side of the ridge, is class 3. Since the decline and eventual collapse of the Ottoman empire in the region, the subsequent emergence of nation states and a Christian resurgence in the 19th century, some of these Muslim communities faced increasing hostility and uncertain futures. Others saw their heritage threatened by secularisation and communism. Despite periods of violence, the worst of which saw ethnic cleansing and the attempted erasure of an entire heritage, the Muslim culture and legacy of Europe, still lives on today.

A deep dive into the historical roots of European Islamophobia, and the places where Muslim Europe still exists make this one of the most compelling books for readers who wish to see the world through a wider lens.” Forbes His love and gentleness towards his wife and daughters made this book even more pleasing. His descriptions about sunni, shiah and sufism was non-divisive and non-judgmental, which led to a peaceful reading (he's sunni Muslim, in case you're wondering). Emigration is also barely touched on – it’s a big issue in the Balkans, where some countries have lost 25% of their population since the fall of Communism. Hussain trots out the cliché of the emigrant moving abroad for a better life, and only once, briefly, does he mention the devastating brain drain impact this causes in the departure country. Is it right for western Europe to damage these countries for its own gain? Does it even help contribute to locals with no real job prospects turning to radical Islam? It’s a complicated topic for sure, but not considered.Hussain embarked on his trip in 2016, a trying time for Muslims in the West, as Donald Trump, “an openly Islamophobic candidate,” was running for president in the US. The UK was in the throes of an identity crisis stoked by the Brexit campaign “that was selling Britain the idea that Muslim refugees were overwhelming Europe”, Hussain says. Their empire was short-lived. In 1199, people rioted in Firuzkuh, protesting the sultan Ghiyath al-Din’s conversion from a conservative sect to a more moderate strain of Islam. Ghiyath al-Din then moved the capital from Firuzkuh to Herat, where he rebuilt a magnificent mosque, parts of which still stand. But the end was near. In 1215, as political tensions threatened to tear the empire apart, a Turkic people known as the Khwarazmians descended on the fast-disintegrating state. In the Ghurid heartland, the Khwarazmians held sway for less than a decade. By 1222, the armies of Genghis Khan had penetrated the remote mountain fastness of Firuzkuh and destroyed the onetime Ghurid capital, leaving the Minaret of Jam as a solitary testament to the reign of the Ghurid sultans. A tour through the Balkans unearthing Islamic European history. I appreciated the depth of his research and the lightness of touch in his many fascinating encounters” Mountain And Glacial Landforms: What Is An Arête? The Garden Wall, an arête in Glacier National Park. What Is An Arête? Steve Fossett, an American aviator and adventurer, died in a plane crash near the Minarets in 2007. [10]

In the heart of the bazaar, the famous Gazi Husrev-Beg Mosque rests serenely amid the clamor and flow of the crowded lanes around it. I approached the door but the prayers had just finished, the imam was deep in conversation, and I turned away. Minarets in the Mountains is not without a controversial element. To some, it has a pro-Ottoman slant, which Hussain justifies, arguing that Ottoman and Turkish culture in the Balkans have traditionally been given short-shrift by Western pundits.

TRENDING NOW

Tharik Hussain’s friend and guide Idar gazes across Gjirokastër from the fort overlooking the town. Photograph: Tharik Hussain In addition to chatting about his new book, we talk about dominant historical narratives, colonial cruft in travel literature, and decolonizing travel writing. Tharik also shares his experiences on his path to getting his book published and some candid insight into developing an area of expertise. My latest book review: Is 'European Islam' the future of Western Muslim identity? @The_NewArab https://t.co/JXS2a0cI8I Idar had been born in Albania during Hoxha’s rule, a time when observing any faith could get you killed. This was the reason he had never been privy to the country’s Muslim heritage. Standing on that fort looking out over Evliya’s Ergiri, he clearly felt a loss. I did too. Criterion (ii): The innovative architecture and decoration of the Minaret of Jam played a significant role in the development of the arts and architecture of the Indian sub-continent and beyond.

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