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

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Therefore, there is an important sense of both linguistic and cultural reclamation throughout the book, very much in keeping with its central narrative: that much of Europe has strong historical links with Muslim history, and this should be not only understood but actively embraced. It presents a refreshing alternative take on the usual travel book and certainly opened my eyes to the Islamic influence on a part of Europe I have not visited.

Between him and his wife, they planned a route taking guidance from the route that the Ottoman traveller Evliya Celebi took across the Ottoman Empire in the 1600s. There have been aggressive attempts in replacing Muslim cultures, and deliberation of destroying them to the extent of writing up new and alternative narratives which is saddening.As we journey through Islamophobia Awareness Month this November, and reflect on the hatred, exclusion, misunderstanding and misrepresentation of Muslims from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, this story of blond-haired, blue-eyed, white Muslims indigenous to Europe provides a lot of food for thought on the nature of anti-Muslim rhetoric from the past to the present day. Tharik's contribution to this bestseller on Thailand includes his fascinating exploration of the country's little-known Muslim culture in the south. If you enjoy travelling and history, this is a book you don’t want to miss, it could get you start planning for your next trip without realising. The sceptical view of the Western countries to this side of the world and relating them to being criminals doesn’t help too. This is one of my favorite non-fiction reads from last month, as Hussain's account makes for a riveting read, especially if you're familiar with the countries he visited.

Tharik has the reader captivated as he travels from place-to-place reinvigorating the beautiful Islamic heritage.He added on how Europeans have been actively trying to erase the glorious history of Muslims in this region, despite the Ottomans having brought civilization to this corner of the world (and hence to the Western Europe too). He also bemoans the spread of forms of Islam that reject religious pluralism but actively avoids engaging with the people who hold these beliefs. The same chat also includes two stories of the imam’s experience with radicalised locals, one of whom declared that all Muslims should unite to kill all the non-Muslims. Equally, the quiet conversation with Aldin towards the book’s close provided a valuable lesson about the importance of dialogue between communities; for me, it served to sum up the themes of the book concisely. Despite Muslims in Europe having the same ethnic roots as their Christian neighbours, they are still seen as the ‘other’.

On Mostar’s bridge – “Did you know that Western ‘experts’ of Bosnia for years couldn’t get themselves to admit that the Ottomans had built the bridge? Great subject - with 5 star expectations I ended 1 star review - I didn’t like Tharik’s political standing and his attitude. The contributions of Muslim culture are huge, and we clamp our hands over our ears and yell "la la la la" at the top of our lungs to deny knowledge. This book is exclusively about Islam and Ottoman history in Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. For more details, please consult the latest information provided by Royal Mail's International Incident Bulletin.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. I was very excited for this travelogue of Muslim Europe - a rare book about the Balkans that focuses on culture instead of war. Along the way, he met several people who helped him along his journey, which forms his impressions of the countries and his fondness for them. While reflecting on the tragedy during his visit to the country, Tharik also highlights the cultural achievements and historic legacy that that survives today – something that often goes unnoticed in the long shadow cast by war.