A Different Perspective

A Different Perspective is written for travelers to Spain and Portugal who find history part of the pleasure of the trip. In cities where the cathedral is more often than not built on top of a mosque, which may itself have been built on top of a Visigoth church, this book is written to help the traveler spot remnants of those earlier structures and other monuments from the centuries when the Iberian Peninsula was ruled by powerful Islamic empires.

The book includes a brief history of those centuries when Arabic was the lingua franca in most of the Peninsula and Cordoba was one of the largest cities in the world. It outlines the empires that ruled this part of the world, from Damascus, Cordoba and Marrakesh, and notes the walls, towers, and design elements that remain from their rule.

Praise for: A Different Perspective: The Traveler's Guide to
Medieval (Islamic) Spain and Portugal
This is the book I wish I had read while I first explored the
architecture of Islamic Spain. It is the ideal companion for travelers
who want to understand the historical context of the fascinating
places they visit. Alec Fisken explains in simple and elegant language
how Islamic leaders from Damascus created dominant cultures on
the Iberian Peninsula that helped to bring Europe out of the Dark
Ages. He shows how Christian, Muslim, and Jewish scholars worked
together to translate Greek literature and make it widely available. He
also weaves in the introduction of Near Eastern and North African
architecture to Spain. After a lucid introduction he writes about the
societies and architecture in six cities. I also recommend it to armchair
travelers who want enjoy a broader understanding to this subject.
Professor Henry C. Matthews
Author of Mosques of Istanbul (Scala, 2010) and Greco-Roman
Cities of Aegean Turkey (Ege, 2014)