Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical
Encyclopedia
Editors: Mick Dumper and Bruce E. Stanley
The dusty, twisting streets and busy markets of Marrakesh. The lush
gardens and quiet courtyards of Tyre. The old slave markets of Zanzibar.
The boomtown construction din of Dubai. The cities of the Middle East
and North Africa evoke vivid images, but the reality is often more
prosaic, with problems of poverty, pollution, powerlessness, conflict,
and poor infrastructure. What fascinating history lies behind these
fabled cities, and what are they like today?
Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia
is more than a comprehensive and colorful guide to major ancient and modern cities
in the region. It is also an unprecedented work of historical research
covering 5,000 years of history in 100 cities. Renowned experts Bruce
Stanley and Michael Dumper trace the full trajectory of each city's
development and explore the relationships between cities. In the
process, they offer readers an unparalleled comparative analysis of the
region.
The volume's entries, arranged alphabetically, cover both long-dead
cities and those that have risen phoenix-like from the ashes numerous
times across the millennia. They begin with factual and statistical
information about each city's location, geography, demographics,
climate, and environmental issues. They also interweave the varied
threads of the region's history (ancient and classical, Islamic, and
recent) as well as each city's culture-its architecture, religious
significance, cultural issues, society, municipal features, economic
issues, and contemporary trends-together into a narrative of each city's
development.
From Abadan to Yanbu, readers of Cities of the Middle East and North
Afric will deepen their understanding of the ancient network of cities in a region that
lies at the heart of modern international conflict. They will also learn
about "edge cities" that are Middle Eastern in nature, such as those in
the sub-Sahara, East Africa, and Central Asia, which have long been part
of the networks of the region. The book also examines the controversies
that surround traditional approaches to Middle East cities, such as
categorizing them as Islamic or Arab cities, and introduces new
approaches and new concepts, such as "world cities" and city-systems.
Cities of the Middle East and North Africa is an
indispensable reference for readers who demand more than a superficial
understanding of the world in which they live.
Michael R. T. Dumper is reader in Middle East politics at the University
of Exeter, Exeter, UK, specializing in urbanism and religious
institutions of the Middle East.
Bruce E. Stanley is provost at Huron University in London and a research
fellow in the Department of Politics at the University of Exeter,
Exeter, UK, specializing in Middle East political economy and
urbanization.
Contact Elaine Vanater, (800) 368-6868 x 174
evanater@abc-clio.com