The Arabs Make Their Entrance: Islam and Empire

As the shadow of the Dark Ages fell across Europe, the scene for the advancement of Western civilization shifted to the Near East.

This program charts the rise of the Arab empire, from its roots in the long-standing rivalry between the Byzantines and the Sassanids.

Nodes along that timeline include the dual role of Mecca as a place of worship and as a center for trade, the life of Muhammad and the birth of Islam, the rapid expansion of Arabia at the expense of Byzantium and the Sassanid kingdom, and the internecine struggle between Arab factions that led to the founding of the Umayyad dynasty.

Part one of When the World Spoke Arabic, produced by Fit Production / La Cinquieme, 1999.
In English. Portions in French with English subtitles. Running time: 26 minutes.