Buy new:
-16% $14.23
FREE delivery Saturday, May 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$14.23 with 16 percent savings
List Price: $16.99

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Saturday, May 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Thursday, May 9. Order within 20 hrs 17 mins
In Stock
$$14.23 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$14.23
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$5.23
Paperback in very good condition. All inside pages are in great shape. Minor shelf wear to the cover. Ships Within 24 hours. Paperback in very good condition. All inside pages are in great shape. Minor shelf wear to the cover. Ships Within 24 hours. See less
$6.25 delivery May 14 - 15. Details
Or fastest delivery May 7 - 13. Details
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$14.23 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$14.23
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from and sold by foggypaws.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Tharik Hussain
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Minarets in the Mountains: A Journey into Muslim Europe Paperback – August 7, 2021

by Tharik Hussain (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 107 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$14.23","priceAmount":14.23,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"23","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"YQMEuY7gVjMgq1E0OYN3AEh4UnIMa%2BTkU%2Fqd3PyDOd41KqhfEYh%2BeIJHkurcKpfG4HN0kZ1VdHPv6Zqf9me66uw%2BSp8KcAc6DL4K0e5xkubHSKj7PbIHLC4XAQcuY%2BqXqGWnPkfkkfL35%2BnpDtKSyg%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$5.23","priceAmount":5.23,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"5","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"23","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"YQMEuY7gVjMgq1E0OYN3AEh4UnIMa%2BTkxnJ0Y2dv7QFT452gMeHGSsCKyQL1%2FO1tQ4FdwuPEYCJSkWhYFmsASiFE4gMBROD8xwaj3DnZhjG4XtQ5U2gxIbKBfQTgbHqc4DGRPV2xx6AkuuLNjHUc%2B0b1Eu%2BxiGIgS6VRorQa%2FkYP%2FrUzgauSPQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

A magical, eye-opening account of a journey into a Europe that rarely makes the news and is in danger of being erased altogether. Another Europe. A Europe few people believe exists and many wish didn't. Muslim Europe. Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2021.




Writer and documentary-maker Tharik Hussain sets off with his wife and young daughters around the Western Balkans, home to the largest indigenous Muslim population in Europe, and explores the regions of Eastern Europe where Islam has shaped places and people for more than half a millennium. Encountering blonde-haired, blue-eyed Muslims, visiting mystical Islamic lodges clinging to the side of mountains, and praying in mosques older than the Sistine Chapel, he paints a picture of a hidden Muslim Europe, a vibrant place with a breathtaking history, spellbinding culture and unique identity.




Minarets in The Mountains, the first non-fiction account by a Muslim writer on this subject, explores the historical roots of the current tide of Islamophobia. Tharik and his family learn lessons about themselves and their own identity as Britons, Europeans, and Muslims. Following in the footsteps of renowned Ottoman traveller Evliya Celebi, they remind us that Europe is as Muslim as it is Christian, Jewish or pagan.




Like William Dalrymple's In Xanadu, this is a vivid reimagining of a region's cultural heritage, unveiling forgotten Muslim communities, empires and their rulers; and like Kapka Kassabova's Border, it is a quest that forces us to consider what makes up our own identities, and more importantly, who decides?
Previous page
  1. Part of series
    Bradt Travel Guides (Travel Literature)
  2. Print length
    352 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Bradt Travel Guides
  5. Publication date
    August 7, 2021
  6. Dimensions
    5.2 x 0.83 x 7.9 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1784778281
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1784778286
  9. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

Minarets in the Mountains: A Journey into Muslim Europe
$14.23
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
The Amur River: Between Russia and China
$13.45
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11
Only 8 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by Strong Sword and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
One of these items ships sooner than the other.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tharik Hussain is affiliated as a fellow with the Centre for Religion and Heritage and is viewed widely as a specialist on Muslim heritage and culture, especially across the western hemisphere. Tharik's previous work has often served to decolonise authorised and popular religious and cultural histories and narratives. He is the creator of Europe's first Muslim heritage trails, he edited a special revival edition of the historic British Muslim journal The Islamic Review. He frequently hosts lectures and talks on Muslim heritage and history and has even helped to develop a Muslim-Jewish heritage trail with the University of Oxford and JTrails.




Tharik has also produced award-winning radio on America's earliest mosques and Muslim communities and written a chapter about encountering the indigenous Muslims of Romania in the book The Ordinary Chaos of Being Human; Travels from Many Muslim Worlds. He is the author of several travel guides for Lonely Planet, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Thailand, where again he is viewed as an expert on Muslim culture and Muslim travel.




Tharik has been named one of the UK's most inspiring British Bangladeshis and is an advisor to a number of heritage projects. His travel guide to Saudi Arabia has been shortlisted for a Travel Media Award and he has an MA in Islamic Studies and a BA(hons) in Media and Cultural Studies.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bradt Travel Guides; First Edition (August 7, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1784778281
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1784778286
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 0.83 x 7.9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 107 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Tharik Hussain

Tharik Hussain

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Tharik is an author, travel writer and journalist specialising in Muslim heritage and culture.

​His debut book, Minarets in the Mountains; A Journey into Muslim Europe, has been shortlisted for the 2022 Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year award and was longlisted for the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize. It was named a Book of the Year by the New Statesman, Prospect Magazine and the Times Literary Supplement, and a Travel Book of the Year by The Washington Post and Newsweek.

Minarets in the Mountains is the first book by a travel writer to explore indigenous Muslim Europe, and the first to do so through the eyes of a Muslim writer.

Tharik is also the author of several travel guides for Lonely Planet, including Saudi Arabia (shortlisted for the 2020 Travel Media Awards), Bahrain, Thailand, London and Great Britain, and he has written about encountering Muslim cultures and heritage across the globe for various media publications. Tharik’s work often serves to counter popular religious and cultural narratives and in July 2019, he created Britain's first Muslim heritage trails, in Surrey, England; in 2017 he was named one of the UK's most inspiring British Bangladeshis and in 2016 his BBC World Service radio documentary, America's Mosques; a story of integration, won Best Religious Program at the New York Festivals World's Best Radio Programs Awards. 

Tharik is a Fellow of the Centre of Religion and Heritage at the University of Groningen, an advisor to the Institute of Islamic Art Thailand and has an MA in Islamic Studies. He possesses two decades of experience in media and education, and is a leading consultant on global Muslim culture and travel.

Tharik resides in London and is represented by David Godwin at David Godwin Associates Ltd.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
107 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Xoanon
5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing travel narrative
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2022
Verified Purchase
Really enjoyed this one. It’s not a part of Europe I’m familiar with, and the author’s perspective as a Muslim adds depth to his descriptions of the places he visited. Probably unreasonably, I felt a little impatient with his wife and daughters, who often wanted to go shopping or whatever and thus he was dragged away from examining some fascinating building or talking to a local – and I wanted him to go on doing that. But that’s life, you have to compromise when travelling as a family. The book has made me want to explore these countries myself, so I thank the author for that motivation.
Helpful
 Report
UmHisham
5.0 out of 5 stars A fresh perspective of the Balkans
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2022
Verified Purchase
I read this book in preparation to travel Bosnia and Croatia. I attended a class at the local university and most all the literature on the Balkans in the course was through the lens of western writers and seemed biased against the Ottomans. This book considered the significant contributions and impact of Ottomans. As we seek understanding and to broaden perspectives for global travels, this book is valuable. Very enjoyable and easy to read.
Helpful
 Report
T. Siddiqi
5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks for taking us on this journey with you Tharik!
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2022
Verified Purchase
Loved this book. Have read much on the Ottoman and Turkish history but for one reason or other ignored the Balkans…On a random recommendation picked this book up and just absolutely loved it. Refreshed memories of listening to U2’s Miss Sarajevo with an old friend. Thanks Tharik Hussain.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Alyssa Ratkewitch
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly reccomend!
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
Fascinated read!
Helpful
 Report
Flamur Vehapi, Author
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended...The book perfectly captures in time the rich cultural heritage of the region...
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2021
This book is for everyone, even for those like myself who grew up in the Balkans. I learned so much from the author's journey and observations.

The book perfectly captures in time the rich cultural heritage of the region, the oft-forgotten Muslim communities living there for centuries, as well as the natural beauty of the Balkans.

I highly recommend the book because it is not just for those planning to travel there but also for those wanting to learn more about that historic part of the world full of beautiful sites, traditions, and people.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars As Evocative as informative.
Reviewed in India on July 14, 2022
Verified Purchase
It tantalizes with the narrative shrewdly hiding as much as it reveals. Eastern Europe is truly the one least known of travel destinations. Definitely made our list of must be done travel routes. Great read.
Report
Annette
5.0 out of 5 stars Open your mind
Reviewed in Germany on October 16, 2021
Verified Purchase
4 words. You must read it!!!
One person found this helpful
 Report
Zaneeb Imtiaz
5.0 out of 5 stars An enthralling and excellent read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 8, 2021
Verified Purchase
An enthralling read which kept me engaged throughout as the two main themes are based on my own passion for travelling and interest in learning about Muslim history/heritage.

“Minarets in the Mountains” is a travelogue by Tharik Hussain where he sets off on a road trip with his wife and daughters around the Western Balkans, home to the largest indigenous Muslim population in Europe.

As readers, we are taken on a journey through the three Muslim-majority countries – Bosnia, Albania and Kosovo – and three neighbouring countries with rich Muslim heritage and communities – Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro.

The author uses the Seyahatname (book of travels) by the famous Ottoman Turkish traveller, Evliya Çelebi from the 16th century, as a guide and companion for his trip. The book explores the homeland and living legacy of Islam in Europe, and the shared heritage of Muslims, Jews and Christians.

Whilst reading, I was able to relate and connect to a number of places the author visited and described as I have also travelled there, which made me feel nostalgic in a grateful way! The book has left me wanting to travel and explore more of the Balkans such as Albania and Macedonia. Although I am still not convinced about Serbia despite the author opening my eyes to the Muslim history and community which still exists out there.

I wish the book included more photographs of the places the author visited as they would have complemented the descriptions, and provided a richer reading experience. When I mentioned this part of my feedback to the author, his response was interesting. He said that part of him also wishes there were more photos but as a writer, he wanted to leave things to the imagination which is a much more powerful and pleasant experience, especially in an age of over stimulation of images! I think he made a valid and excellent point! ☺️

Overall, an excellent book and I definitely recommend it!
5 people found this helpful
 Report
Margaret Burns
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 14, 2023
Verified Purchase
Really enjoyed this book. Took me on a lovely journey through Europe.
Report
Zeinab
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating. Loved it.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 16, 2022
Verified Purchase
As a traveller who oft enjoys exploring a little off the beaten track, this was a delightful read, particularly given my interest in the history of Islam and comparative faiths. Informative. Surprising. And all experienced by folk with a real personal interest. Loved it.
2 people found this helpful
 Report