Cities of the Middle East and North Africa - A Historical Encyclopedia

Bustling cities with twisting streets and busy markets. Lush gardens, quiet courtyards, minarets flashing in the hot sun. The cities of the Middle East and North Africa evoke these vivid images, but the reality is often more prosaic, with problems of poverty, pollution, disenfranchisement, conflict, and poor infrastructure. What fascinating history lies behind these cities, and what are they like today?

Inclusion in the text is not necessarily a measure of the critical importance of a city, according to the introduction. American readers may be unacquainted with the history or even the location of Hims (Syria) or Sfax (Tunisia), but other cities, such as Baghdad, Cairo, and Dubai, will be familiar.