Muslim Footprints

Embark on a sonic journey through centuries of melody, tradition, and cross-cultural fusion! In this episode, we dive into the soundscapes of Muslim lands, featuring legendary musician Jordi Savall, renowned for reviving medieval and early music, and Fairouz Nishanova, Director of the Aga Khan Music Programme. 

Please note the first 26 minutes of this episode is in French. English subtitles are available on the video version.

Discover how medieval music evolved through Islamic empires, where improvisation was an art form and cultural exchange thrived along trade routes. Jordi shares insights into his lifelong quest to resurrect forgotten harmonies, while Fairouz illuminates the AKMP’s groundbreaking work in preserving endangered musical heritage - from empowering local artists to bridging ancient traditions with modern innovation.  

How did political upheaval nearly silence Central Asia’s musical legacy? What role does education play in reviving these traditions today? And why is improvisation a universal language of resilience? From the Sufi rhythms of Samarkand to the Andalusian echoes of Córdoba, this episode celebrates music as a living archive of history, identity, and human connection.

For centuries, the Indian Ocean has been a vast crossroads of cultures, goods, and ideas - but what role did Islam play in weaving this intricate web of connections? 

Arab, Berber, Persian and Indian merchants spread Islam from the seventh century onwards across the vast geographic areas of the Sahara and the Indian Ocean. Muslims in turn fostered diasporas, built architectural marvels, and circulated ideas, from the spice routes of Gujarat to the Swahili coast of Zanzibar. This episode unravels the “longue durée” of Islam’s influence, tracing how faith, trade, and culture transformed global interactions and local identities across continents.  

Join Walid Ghali and Farouk Topan from the Aga Khan University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, and Daren Ray, from Brigham Young University as we challenge conventional narratives and spotlight the centrality of Muslim cultures in understanding the Indian Ocean’s interconnected past - and its enduring legacy today.

When we think about modern Europe, we tend to think about Muslims as newcomers to the continent. Professor Emily Greble, chair of the history department at Vanderbilt University, turns the tables on this assumption.

 

This episode looks at the Muslim communities that were living in southeastern Europe from the 1880s to the 1940s, as the imperial world collapsed and a new Europe made up of nation states emerged. More than a million Ottoman Muslims became citizens of new European states: indigenous men, women and children; merchants, peasants, and landowners; muftis and preachers; teachers and students; believers and non-believers from seaside port towns on the shores of the Adriatic to mountainous villages in the Balkans. 

 

Join us as we talk about how Muslim histories are European histories and how Muslims helped shape modern states and societies, laws, and the European project.

We’re onto our second episode of the year - looking at the story of Islam in Russia! Flying us through the history is Dr Danielle Ross, a specialist of Islamic and Russian-Soviet history at the State University of Utah. 

Russia is home to one of the world’s largest Muslim populations, with a rich and complex history that stretches back over a thousand years. We start with its early introduction in the Volga region, and travel through the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Crimea. We explore the role of Tatar Muslims, and the shifting policies of Tsars, Soviets, and modern Russia towards their Muslim citizens. Despite periods of repression and revival, Islam remains a vital force in Russia’s diverse society today, shaping everything from local traditions to geopolitical dynamics.

Join us as we uncover the resilience and contributions of Russia’s Muslim communities in this captivating episode.

Happy new year, friends, and welcome to our first episode of 2025! We are continuing Season Two with Ibn Khaldun, a medieval historian who was fascinated by the way societies function. Telling us his story is Professor Gabriel Martinez-Gros, one of France’s most renowned experts of Islam.

 

The episode explores Ibn Khaldun’s life and the context in which he wrote. It also examines the cyclical nature of history he proposed, which goes something like this. States are built around a violent minority that subdues the majority sedentary population. Eventually these violent groups, who in Ibn Khaldoun’s time were nomads or Bedouin, soften and become more and more like the sedentary population they rule. In other words, these wolves become like the sheep they govern – so to maintain control of the state, they have to call on new wolves to help them. These new violent groups first support, and then supplant, the old elite.

 

The discussion highlights how Ibn Khaldun's insights into the complicated relationship between the authorities and society remain pertinent today, especially in light of contemporary challenges.