Brief History of Basra

"e;A Brief History of Basra"e; is a quick and rich window into one of the most ancient cities of Islamic civilization. It was the first Muslim capital outside the Arabian Peninsula, and its name has been associated, since its inception, with conquests, history, and conflict. Ali Zarif Al-A'zami paints a concise, panoramic picture of Basra's history, from its founding by Muslims with the permission of Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab, through the famous Battle of the Camel and the subsequent unrest and conflicts during the Umayyad and Abbasid eras, all the way to the events of the modern centuries, culminating in its occupation by the British in the twentieth century. Basra, in this book, is not just a city; it is the scene of major events that changed the course of Islamic and Arab history and shaped the character of the city, which combined knowledge and strife, civilization and turmoil. This book places in the reader's hands the quintessential history of a city that has always remained at the crossroads of politics, religion, and civilization.