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Alec Fisken
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A Different Perspective: The Traveler's Guide to Medieval (Islamic) Spain and Portugal Kindle Edition

by Fisken, Alec, (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 11 ratings
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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.

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  1. Print length
    128 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Alec Fisken
  5. Publication date
    February 1, 2020
  6. File size
    55238 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

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 to enjoy a broader understanding of this subject.
Professor Henry C. Matthews
Author of Mosques of Istanbul (Scala, 2010) and Greco-Roman
Cities of Aegean Turkey (Ege, 2014)

About the Author

Alec Fisken received his BA from Yale University in History and a MA from Harvard's Kennedy School. He worked as a consultant in Europe and Africa and as an investment banker in the Pacific Northwest. He served as Director of the Seattle City Council's investigation into the World Trade Organization protests, and was elected to the Port of Seattle Commission.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B084BRY181
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Alec Fisken; 1st edition (February 1, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 1, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 55238 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

About the author

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Alec Fisken

Alec Fisken

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Alec Fisken received his BA from Yale University in History and a MA from Harvard’s Kennedy School. He worked as a consultant in Europe and Africa and as an investment banker in the Pacific Northwest. He served as Director of the Seattle City Council’s investigation into the World Trade Organization protests, and was elected to the Port of Seattle Commission.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
11 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Debby Jo Blank
5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable Read
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2020
Verified Purchase
A Different Perspective provides a uniquely valuable passport to understanding Iberian Peninsula treasures. Alec Fisken reveals the dynamics of the historicity of buildings and structures every visitor should see. With his cosmopolitan understanding of history’s millennia and rapier wit, Fisken slashes through typically mind-numbing detail to vividly contextualize Islamic contributions. Important buildings have “just enough” description of the individual layers in chronological, formal, and stylistic terms. Guiding the reader through the visual expression of changing historical circumstances, economic and social conditions, ideas, and values, he reveals oft-hidden layers and adaptations -- pivot points behind the transformations that constantly generated different needs. Whether armchair traveler or ticket-in-hand tourist, you will want to read this book.
2 people found this helpful
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da shrimp
5.0 out of 5 stars Love the Different Perspective
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2021
Verified Purchase
Excellent companion book to the standard Spanish tour books for understanding a bit of Islamic history in Spain and its unique architecture. Easy to read and understand - filled with interesting information. It left me wanting to understand and know more - wish the author would write a more robust/"full length" book on the same topic.
2 people found this helpful
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Lawrence Roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and useful
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2020
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A very enjoyable and informative touring guide that highlights the enduring influence of the cultures that gave us modern Spain. Full of surprises even for this former resident of Madrid.
One person found this helpful
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RB
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating and valuable aid to Iberian travel
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2022
Most travelers to Iberia are likely aware to some degree of the significant historical influence of Islamic culture in Spain and Portugal. Fisken’s interweaving of history and the architecture that remains accessible to tourists---some of it well preserved and magnificent, much more not easy to detect after the Muslim presence receded (after 800 years) and dismantlement and replacement occurred--- will make for a rich addition to any itinerary. Nearly as intriguing as the encouragement to track down distinctive, elaborate archways and minarets repurposed as bell towers found in Granada and the other five cities covered in the guide are the historical anecdotes that now and then crop up: my favorite was the notion that Queen Isabella, after hearing Columbus’ proposal to access the riches of Asia by sailing west---based on a gross underestimate of the earth’s circumference---could have walked downhill from the Alhambra to the Islamic University’s library and found a much more accurate figure from hundreds of years earlier that might have inspired her to nix the project, and save Columbus the embarrassment of running into an impenetrable North American continent.
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Cary SK
5.0 out of 5 stars Much of interest, especially when we’re not allowed to travel
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2020
Alec Fisken has produced a guide book that can make one feel more worldly and knowledgeable, without having left the house. Given the constraints due to the current pandemic, this is a timely book. It explores the legacy of the multiple Islamic cultures that flourished on the Iberian peninsula in the eight hundred years before it was seen as Roman Catholic Portugal and Spain. The many photographs throughout illustrate the architectural remains, most tucked discreetly into later cathedrals and fortifications. That this part of Europe did not experience the Dark Ages, but was intellectually vibrant, it’s ports conduits of classical texts as well as Islamic advances in science and medicine, would not be obvious to many. Fisken’s writing on this strain of medieval intellectual history enriches the book, and indeed adds a deeper layer of interest in the cities discussed.
One person found this helpful
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Frank
5.0 out of 5 stars a must-have for planning a Spain trip!
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2020
My wife and I are planning a trip to Spain (who knows when it will happen!), and this book has been exceedingly helpful. It has given me a much deeper appreciation of the history of the landmarks that we plan to visit, and I even added some lesser-known destinations to our itinerary based on recommendations from the book. The writing is clear and entertaining, even for non-academic types like myself. The pictures are lovely, too. Reading this in preparation for our trip was the perfect way to beat the social-distance blues! This is a must-have for anyone traveling to Spain or Portugal who wants to understand what they're seeing.
2 people found this helpful
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J. Wagner
5.0 out of 5 stars Brief history
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book is about a certain period of time in the history for Spain and Portugal but gives you a brief history of the major cities and how it has influenced these countries today. I thought it was a good overview for our trip to those countries. So when the tour guide talked about this towns or when touring sites, we had background.
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