Tharik Hussain: Córdoba in the Islamic Golden Age (929)

Our guest today is Tharik Hussain, a travel writer turned historian who has recently produced an enchanting study of Europe's Islamic history. To investigate this at close quarters, in this episode he takes us back to Córdoba in the year 929 – the greatest city in Europe at the time, a place of wealth and splendour with a population of around 100,000. By 929 Córdoba was emerging as a rival power base to Baghdad. At a Friday prayers, early in the year, its ruler Abdul Rahman III declared himself Caliph of the Caliphate of Cordoba, Al Andalus. This was a decisive political move. Tharik takes us into the Grand Mosque to see this happen and he then guides us on a tour of two more equally intriguing sites. Tharik Hussain is the author Muslim Europe: A Journey in Search of a Fourteen Hundred Year History Show notes Scene One: Friday Prayers in the Great Mosque of Córdoba. 17 January 929. Scene Two: Inside a Córdoban hospital, or 'maristan'. Scene Three: One of the great synagogues of Cordoba in search of a young Jewish boy called Hasdai Ibn Shaprut. Memento: The plans that were drawn up for AR III’s Caliphate City – Madinah az Zahra. People/Social Presenter: Peter Moore Guest: Tharik Hussain Production: Maria Nolan Theme music: Firelight by Minka

You can listen to Tharik Hussain: Córdoba in the Islamic Golden Age (929) online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Tharik Hussain: Córdoba in the Islamic Golden Age (929) is an episode from Travels Through Time by Travels Through Time.

This episode is 57:21 long.

This episode was published on Feb 10, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Travels Through Time when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.