Education & The House of Wisdom
The sharing of culture was vital for the Abbasids. Even their predecessors, the Umayyads, had been fascinated by the knowledge of other cultures and societies. The Abbasids took things one step furthe...
9 Okt 202313min
War between the Brothers
Muslims spilled a lot of ink pondering what good government should look like, what a wise ruler should be like, and why it mattered for society. And this is the type of political intrigue that makes B...
8 Okt 202317min
The Palace of the Golden Gate
Alongside the Great Mosque, the palace was the first structure built in Baghdad. Let’s imagine this…You’re a new visitor, you’ve traveled for miles, perhaps stopping at the funduq as you slowly make y...
1 Okt 202314min
The Caravanserai
Let’s take a jaunt to an ancient structure that made all of medieval Baghdad possible, the caravanserai or funduq. Originally built by the Achaemenids as roadside taverns or ins, these were dwellings ...
1 Okt 202312min
Hammam
With their elaborate domed ceilings and ornate mosaics, these public steam baths were adopted by Muslims from the Greco-Roman world. Stemming from a time when not everyone had access to running water,...
24 Sep 202312min
The Great Mosque
The Great Mosque was positioned in the center of Baghdad, with numerous smaller mosques dotted around the various neighborhoods. A place of daily prayer, a community center, a place to feed the poor a...
17 Sep 202317min
The Bazaar
In this episode we’ll travel to the Bazaar (AKA souk), a place of trade and politics, the beating heart of the city…Throngs of people move about, garbed in clothing that reflect their rank; the rich i...
11 Sep 202316min
The Harem
Originating with the Persian empires, the harem (unlike its salacious modern day portrayals) emerges from the need to create a safe space for rulers and their families. Let’s take a tour!You’ve had an...
4 Sep 202313min
