Islam 600-1200

(26 mins) This film is part of a television series on the history of the world, based on the Times Atlas of World History. This film documents the spread of Islam from Mecca to North Africa and Spain, Central Asia, Asia, and Africa. It has very good map sequences on the spread of Islam. It discusses the beginning of Islam in Mecca, the Ummayad and Abbasid caliphates, the Sunni-Shia split, the advance of the Seljuks, the founding of Baghdad and the Beit al Hikma (the house of wisdom). Be aware that there are too many film clips of the desert and angry Muslims (Iranians and Afghans), the background music is often very western and inappropriate, and the numbers of Muslims should be updated. Nonetheless, it is a useful film for the classroom.

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