Glories of Islamic Art

Episode 2

We move on to Cairo, the cockpit of the early Islamic struggles between Sunni and Shi’a faiths. Cairo displays the glories of two of the great Islamic regimes – the Shi’ite Fatimids who swept in from the North African desert – and the Mamluks, slave soldiers who overthrew their masters to set up their own Sunni dynasty. Both have left behind impressive evidence of their strength.

Episode 3

Explores the last great Islamic dynasty, the Ottomans, and their great capital at Istanbul. The two dominating buildings of historic Istanbul are the Blue Mosque and Haghia Sophia.