Tag: caliph
Pergamonmuseum
You’re a world away from rote learning by candlelight, severe teachers, inky papers and dreary prose and yet here on some wild, herb-scented hill, everything you read comes to life before your eyes. What you’re seeing is not really there, of course, but your imagination builds it anyway, doing in a mere glance what was …
Córdoba
Containing some 500,00 inhabitants, tenth century Córdoba was home to Europe’s largest urban population.
The Caliphate, a dynasty of Ummayad rulers exiled from their Syrian homelands, held sway over rich hinterlands that supported first the consolidation, then expansion of their influence across al-Andalus and the Maghreb.
A legacy of learning
Whilst its scientific and cultural exploits were renowned …
Granada and the Alhambra
Late morning and we’re climbing a steep street from the city and the white buildings of the old Albayzín quarter are dazzling in the spring sunlight.
It’s still March and until an hour or so ago, when we were across the valley at the Alhambra, it was still cool and dewy.
Taking a drink of water at …
Andalusia
Illuminated by the sunlight of southernmost Spain are the last traces of a great state whose grandeur and importance seem disproportionate to its lack of prominence in European history.
Perhaps the footnote status of Al-Andalus is partly due to being sandwiched between Roman civilisation and the discovery of the “New” World. Still more likely is that …
Elsewhere on MikePadgett.com …
Proper ASBO
I heard on the radio about the latest figures for those of the nation’s youth in receipt of an ASBO (Anti-Social Behaviour Order for those of you who don’t read the panic …
- Originally published: 1 Jul 2005 in Personalia
Year of The Pig
Sunday 18th January was Chinese New Year. This year, it’s the Year Of The Pig and children born under this sign will be happy and honest. The Pig is also J’s birth …
- Originally published: 21 Feb 2007 in Personalia
York
York has been around since Roman times, when it was one of the principal settlements in Britain. Constantine the Great was declared emperor there in 306, following the death of his father …
- Originally published: 9 May 2008 in UK
Grotesque
Natsuo Kirino Harvill (2007) After I recently moaned about the commercial fetishization of Haruki Murakami’s work, I can see this happening again with Natsuo Kirino. Kirino apparently has a back catalogue of well over …
- Originally published: 14 Oct 2008 in Books
Who is that guy?
Hello you. I'm Mike Padgett and I work in the technology sector as an Information Designer.
I also enjoy travel, concerts, films and walking.
I'm based in Brussels, Belgium. My current favourite Belgian beer is St Feuillien Brune.