Oriental Journeys
Guided and inspired by Ibn Battuta’s (d.1369) footsteps, in a series of conversations with international scholars and prominent practitioners, the Oriental Journeys Podcast aims to deliver intriguing, historically accurate, relatable, curiosity-provoking and well-researched episodes that open a portal into the world of the East for people who are curious about the past, contemplate the wonders of cities and hunger for the marvels of travelling.
Oriental Journeys
Latest Episodes
Bookish Societies: Social and Cultural History of Knowledge Transmission in the Islamic World with Konrad Hirschler
In the 14th century, Ibn Battuta’s travel accounts vividly captured great cities such as Cairo and Damascus. Far more than busy urban centers, these cities were dynamic cultural hubs that actively shaped how knowledge was preserved and s...
Musk: A Little Scent of Heaven on Earth with Anya King
Musk-a strongly scented substance and highly-prized commodity, has a long and captivating history. Famed throughout the world in late antiquity – especially the Sasanian Empire in Iran - with the emergence of Islam, musk attained a disti...
Ibadis of the Maghrib: Community Building through Peoples and Texts With Paul Love
The Ibadi Muslims, a little-known community, have lived in towns and villages of North Africa for over a thousand years. This Muslim community originated from Basra in 7th century, found their way in 8th century in part of the n...
Treasure Trove: Delicious Delicacies of a 14th Century Cookbook with Nawal Nasrallah
Kanz al-fawāʾid or Treasure Trove is the enticing title of a medieval Egyptian cookbook, written by an anonymous author. This exceptional text comes from the Mamluks era, in the 14th...
The Arabs: In Search of Identity and Solidarity in the Murky Centuries with Tim Mackintosh-Smith
The Arab world is enormously vast and diverse, in every imaginable way, and yet is deeply rooted in a lineage of shared values. Over three millennia, these evolving values have been transmitted from generation to generation, and traversed te...
