skip to content

Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

 
Venue: 
Old Common Room
Event date: 
Thursday, 2 February, 2023 - 17:15
Event organiser: 

MES Seminar Series talk given by Prof. Andrew MarshamUniversity of Cambridge

The Umayyad Empire (644–750 ce) was the first Islamic empire, ruled by relatives of the Prophet Muhammad in alliance with the tribespeople of the Syrian Steppe. It was one of the largest empires of ancient and medieval times, extending over 8,000 miles between the Atlantic Ocean in the West and the Indian Ocean in the East.

This talk will examine the distinctive character of the empire, paying particular attention to the unusual ecological history of the period, the unique role of the Syrian tribes, and their interactions with the Umayyad dynasty, and the formation of new ethnic and religious identities during the century of Umayyad rule.


For further information, contact:

Dr Lorenzo Bondioli (E-mail: lb932@cam.ac.uk)
Prof. Amira K. Bennison (E-mail: knb21@cam.ac.uk)

 

Contact
Professor Amira K Bennison: amira.bennison@ames.cam.ac.uk