378. Baghdad: The Golden Age (Part 3)

How did Bloody Sunday erupt on the 30th of January 1972? Why did it follow on the heels of terrible violence? And, what were the consequences of that violent day? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the tragic events of Bloody Sunday, and the final attempt at peace in Northern I ...  Show more

What was the Provisional IRA, and why did they return to the fray at the high point of The Troubles in Northern Ireland? How did a series of bloody battles, including the Short Strand Battle, brutally intensify tensions between the British Army and Catholic communities? And, how ...  Show more

What would a visitor have seen entering the City of Peace? Deana and Ali tour the medieval metropolis that is Baghdad. Capital city of the Abbasid empire, heart of the Islamic civilization, home to mighty architectural marvels and great intellectual achievements! 

Perhaps most significant among al Mansur’s many triumphs was his founding of a new capital for his administration, a glorious new city which would come to be known as Baghdad. It was a decision that had a tremendous impact on Arab and world history, bringing the umma another step ...  Show more

Isfahan, half of the world. It had been a city for years, but at the end of the 16th century Shah Abbas made it his capital and totally transformed it. With the immense wealth he brought to the city, Isfahan became home to some of the most beautiful architecture the world has eve ...  Show more

Medieval Muslims imagined themselves as scholarly warriors, poets, and philosophers, knights, and cavaliers. This elite culture and the way it filtered down to the masses, is what made this period of Baghdad so exciting. In this episode we explore the culture of chivalry and t ...