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

Product Information

Heritage is essential for anchoring identities and if we don't know our heritage in the way that we should or we're denied aspects of it, it's little wonder that we sometimes feel a little bit adrift,” he says. Winner of a BGTW Members’ Excellence Award: Travel Narrative Book of the Year – The Adele Evans Award. The big issue with this book, however, is that the author awkwardly (and superficially) tries to fit his agenda onto the trip without doing it successfully.

The Best British Travel Writing of the 21st Century includes 30 outstanding travel stories published in British media over the last two decades, as chosen by some of the top names in travel writing today. Discover the meaning of serenity on Ko Yao Islands, explore exotic rainforests in Khao Sok, and dance until sunrise on Ko Pha-Ngan; all with your trusted travel companion.

It records the journey that brother Tharik undertook with his beloved family through Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro. In this context, visiting indigenous Muslim communities, who are a part of Europe’s very fabric, becomes more pertinent. Apart from his family, who travel with him, and a couple of Airbnb keyholders, he doesn’t talk to any women.

We use Google Analytics to see what pages are most visited, and where in the world visitors are visiting from.Get caught up in Bangkok's energy, sample fresh local food in Chiang Mai, and relax in luxury on Ko Samui; all with your trusted travel companion.

I’m a Bosnian Muslim from Sarajevo, now living in the UK, and I found this book a frustrating and irritating read. All too often we're led to believe that Europe has only Judeo-Christian heritage, maybe with a sprinkling of some paganism, and apparently Islam has had nothing to do with the evolution and development of Europe,” says Tharik. The names of places, people, cuisines and cultural norms such as Muslim hospitality and welcoming travellers are all practiced in these areas. Novi Pazar is an Ottoman town that was established in the 15th century, the same year as Sarajevo in neighbouring Bosnia – and by same individual, Isa-Beg Ishaovic, then governor of Bosnia. It’s heartfelt to read stories of individuals who wanted to challenge Islam, learned about it and fell in love with it.That's because Western Europe considers Greek and Hellenic heritage as the very foundations of Western civilisation. Tharik Hussain travels through the forgotten cities/towns of the Balkans to explore the historical Islamic monuments, too often disregarded when thinking of Europe. I hoped for a different perspective - the author was travelling as a family (with a wife, and 2 girls) and yet, all interviews with locals were exclusively with men. All of this work is to essentially just try and move towards a normalisation of Islam being a part of the Western cultural landscape.

Ottomans left an important and enduring legacy in the region but present day Bosnia and Sandjak have nothing to do with modern day Turkey.He cites a Victorian archaeologist here, but later quite rightly notes that the Victorian English were prone to superiority complexes over pretty much anyone). So much of history gets glossed over because it gives the viewpoint of the "losing side," or the non-wanted side. There was a fear of Turkey joining the EU, and if Britain remained then the Turks would swamp the UK.