The Middle East has always been a central site for trade and conquests. Its location has brought enormous wealth, cultural exchange and intellectual vitality – but also conflicts, instability and enduring political tensions. Understanding the region’s past is crucial to understanding the present day.

In the anthology Empires of Faith internationally renowned scholars and writers explore the long history of the Middle East – from Mesopotamia, the Persian Empire and Alexander the Great to the emergence of Christianity and Islam, the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, and the dramatic transformation of the region in the 20th century. How have religion, civilisation and imperial ambitions shaped the Middle East? What is the legacy of the great empires and how did they influence laws, culture, governance and the everyday lives of their subjects? And to what extent are the repercussions of this history still visible in today’s political and religious landscape?