Old Basra- investigations of Islam’s first urban settlement outside the Arabian Peninsula

Professor Andrew Petersen
University of Wales Trinity Saint David

This talk will discuss the results of an ongoing archaeological survey of the remains of this early Islamic city in southern Iraq. The historical and cultural importance of Basra as one of the first urban Muslim settlements cannot be overstated. Information from early Islamic sources has enabled historians to identify many features of the social composition of the city including tribal groupings, religious affiliations as well as the identification of certain physical features such as the location of markets, water courses and cemeteries. However the relationship between the historical information and the modern topography of the area is not always clear. There is also the problem that much of the historical information comes from later periods and may reflect subsequent re-interpretations of the development of the city. In view of these problems the archaeology of the city presents substantial opportunities for gaining an insight into the physical and social development of the city.

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Meeting ID: 865 2785 7993
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