Islamesque: The Forgotten Craftsmen Who Built Europe’s Medieval Monuments w/ Diana Darke & Tharik Hussain
London
W1T 5HA
Join us for a special event featuring renowned Middle East cultural expert and author Diana Darke for the launch of her latest book, Islamesque: The Forgotten Craftsmen Who Built Europe’s Medieval Monuments. With over four decades of expertise in the Middle East and the author of acclaimed works such as Stealing from the Saracens and The Ottomans, Darke’s new book brings a fresh perspective to the role of Muslim craftsmen in shaping Europe’s most iconic Romanesque monuments.
Moderating the evening will be Tharik Hussain, an award-winning travel writer and author of Minarets in the Mountains, who is well-known for his exploration of Muslim heritage in Europe. Hussain will guide the conversation as Darke uncovers the fascinating history behind Europe’s medieval architectural wonders and the Muslim master builders responsible for their creation.
In Islamesque, Diana Darke explores the fascinating and often overlooked contributions of Muslim master builders who played a pivotal role in shaping Europe’s architectural heritage. While clergymen have long been credited for presiding over Europe’s medieval architectural wonders, the highly skilled craftsmen who designed and built these masterpieces have remained largely anonymous. Darke’s research uncovers the evidence embedded in structures like Mont Saint-Michel, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Durham Cathedral, and the Basilica of Santiago de Compostela, revealing the profound influence of Islamic geometry and craftsmanship on Europe’s pre-Gothic, Romanesque monuments.
Through meticulous analysis, Islamesque challenges Eurocentric assumptions about the origins of Europe’s medieval architectural styles and highlights the deep-rooted connections between the Islamic world and ‘Christian’ Europe. Darke argues that Romanesque architecture, often regarded as a European innovation, is in fact deeply influenced by Islamic design and construction techniques, and should be recognised for what it truly is: Islamesque.
Join us for this enlightening conversation between Diana Darke and Tharik Hussain, where they will explore the intersection of history, architecture, and the shared cultural heritage between the Islamic world and medieval Europe. Attendees will also have the opportunity to purchase Islamesque at a special event discount, with Diana Darke available to sign copies after the talk.
About the speakers
Diana Darke has spent four decades in the Middle East. Her books include Islamesque and Stealing from the Saracens (both published by Hurst), My House in Damascus and The Ottomans. A non-resident scholar at Washington DC’s Middle East Institute, she holds degrees in Arabic and in Islamic Art and Architecture.
Tharik Hussain is an author, travel writer and journalist who specialises on Muslim heritage and culture, especially across the western hemisphere. Tharik’s previous work has often served to decolonise popular religious and cultural histories and narratives. He is the creator of Britain’s first Muslim heritage trails and has produced award-winning radio for the BBC on America’s earliest mosques and Muslim communities. Tharik has written about his travels exploring Muslim culture and heritage across the globe for many of the world’s leading media brands and is the author of several travel guides for Lonely Planet, including Saudi Arabia (shortlisted for a Travel Media Award), Bahrain and Thailand. He has been named one of the UK’s most inspiring British Bangladeshis and is a Fellow at the University of Groningen’s Centre for Religion and Heritage.