Al-Andalus in Islamic Spain and the 19th Century Levant are often mentioned as legendary times and places of peaceful co-existence between different peoples and religions. But how much real social, cultural and economic interaction actually existed among Jews, Christians and Muslims? In what way was the Jewish experience distinctive from that of other faiths? In this talk chaired by Professor Felipe Fernández-Armesto, two major historians of the region, Professor David Abulafia, author of the magisterial The Great Sea, and Dr. Philip Mansel, whose most recent book focused on The Levant, give us a whirlwind tour of Granada, Palermo, Smyrna, Beirut, Alexandria and Tel Aviv/Jaffa from the 15th Century to today and possibly even a glimpse into the future.
An event from 2012 Jewish Book Week
