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

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If you’re planning to explore Muslim Balkans then this book is an essential and even if you’re not, this is a great introduction to Islamic history and how rich the history of Islam is and how far it reaches. This is a really interesting book about a journey through six Balkan countries on the trail of the Muslim heritage. There was a fear of Turkey joining the EU, and if Britain remained then the Turks would swamp the UK. They want Plato, they want Aristotle, they want Hippocrates but they're not so keen on Sultan Suleiman or Mehmed Sokollu Pasha,” Tharik says. I think the eastern European hatred and Islamophobia were all wrapped into one and there’s no surprise that the two were interchangeable during the Brexit rhetoric,” he says.

That's because Western Europe considers Greek and Hellenic heritage as the very foundations of Western civilisation.Shortlisted in the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards 2022: Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year. Thanks to the rise of the political right-wing, Muslim Europe is being pushed as a threat to our way of life in Europe and the UK. The project as a whole (exploring the majority-Muslim countries of Eastern Europe) is very worthy and manages moments of interest and beauty. Tharik has the reader captivated as he travels from place-to-place reinvigorating the beautiful Islamic heritage. But the reality is that, while honour killings are not an Islamic phenomenon per se, they are far more likely to arise in Muslim communities, not helped by often misogynistic views in Islam (the burqa, which Hussain observes without comment, being the most visible example).

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). Tharik follows in his footsteps, often visiting the same sites as Çelebi, thereby providing the reader with a perspective from the past, when the Balkans were very much a part of the Ottoman empire. Each of the countries is home to sizeable Muslim populations – communities that were first established centuries ago, during the reign of the Ottomans. Discover royal palaces, have a pint in a pub, and catch a West End show - all guided by local experts with fresh perspectives.

Author Tharik Hussain discusses how his travels to the Balkans shed light on issues like identity and belonging, the roots of Islamophobia, and the European fear of the ‘Turks’.