In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries one could hardly speak of Christian or European unity against a Muslim enemy. We have seen that this was because of the political divisions in Europe. In this episode we will discuss another reason for the lack of European unity, and that is religious divisions.

Matters of Humanities: History of Islam in Europe
People are often surprised that the history of the Islam in Europe is so much more than a history of wars. It's also a story of diplomacy and trade, knowledge and arts, from Muslims living together with Christians and Europeans for centuries. Muslims and the Islam are not things that just 'happened' to Europe, they are part of Europe. In this podcast series, professor Maurits Berger talks about the history of the Islam in Europe: going back to the first Muslim who set foot in Europe, and seeing what kind of interactions have taken place between Muslims and Europeans since then.

Music
•Johannes Sebastian Bach: 'Erhalt uns, Herr' (Germany) • Lamekan Ensemble: 'Nikriz Peşrev' (Ottoman) • Gustav Duben: 'Veni sancta Spiritus' (Sweden) • Jan Dismas Zelenka: 'Miserere in C minor' (Czech) • Heinrich Biber: 'Harmonia Artificioso' (Germany) • Ensemble Renaissance: 'Cry no More' (Croatia)

In the next three episode we will take a closer look at the relations between Muslims and non-Muslims in Europe during the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. That period was dominated by the presence of the Ottomans, and in today's episode we will take a closer look at this new player in Europe, and how this empire related to other European states, and how its religiously mixed society looked like.

Matters of Humanities: History of Islam in Europe
People are often surprised that the history of the Islam in Europe is so much more than a history of wars. It's also a story of diplomacy and trade, knowledge and arts, from Muslims living together with Christians and Europeans for centuries. Muslims and the Islam are not things that just 'happened' to Europe, they are part of Europe. In this podcast series, professor Maurits Berger talks about the history of the Islam in Europe: going back to the first Muslim who set foot in Europe, and seeing what kind of interactions have taken place between Muslims and Europeans since then.

Music
• Jordi Saval: 'Uskudar' (Ottoman) • Bulgarian Female Choir: 'Schopska Pesen' (Bulgaria) • Johannes Caioni: 'Codex Caioni: Czardas' (Transylvania) • (France)Julian Belin: 'Second Trio'
• Cornelis Schuyt: 'Bewaert, O heer, holland' (Netherlands) •Adam Jarzebsk: 'Tamburetta' (Poland)

King Otto had thrown out the Arab warlords from southern France. As a thank you, the pope crowned him king of the Christians in Europe, and Otto would build an enormous empire in central Europe that became known as the Holy Roman Empire. This same king Otto was trying to establish good relations with the Arab Muslims in Spain.

Matters of Humanities: History of Islam in Europe
People are often surprised that the history of the Islam in Europe is so much more than a history of wars. It's also a story of diplomacy and trade, knowledge and arts, from Muslims living together with Christians and Europeans for centuries. Muslims and the Islam are not things that just 'happened' to Europe, they are part of Europe. In this podcast series, professor Maurits Berger talks about the history of the Islam in Europe: going back to the first Muslim who set foot in Europe, and seeing what kind of interactions have taken place between Muslims and Europeans since then.

Music
• Amina Alaoui: 'Li Ayyi Sabab' (Andalusia) • Maria del mar Bonnet: 'Tonada de Treball' (Catalonia) • New Orleans Musica da Camera: 'Ja nus hons pris…' (England/France) • Al Qantarah: 'Vicarotia' (Sicily) • Monks of abbey of Notre Dame: 'Dignus Deus Est' (Western Europe) • Begona Olavide: 'Leilun Ayib' (Andalusia) • Juan Martin: 'Lamento Morisco' (Spain) • Karolina Cicha, 'Jaz Cite' (Tatarastan) • Robert Lawaty et al.: 'Exultet hodie' (Poland)

What did Europeans think of the Muslims who had been entering Europe since the eighth century? Was it just another group of warriors, like the Vikings in the north and the Huns in the east? Or were they seen as a new religion, perhaps even a challenge to Christianity?

In the previous episode we talked about the wars of conquest and raids undertaken by the Muslim Arabs. We have seen that raiding and conquering was done by everyone, everywhere. But a question that has been preoccupying many academics and observers is whether the Muslims were perhaps conquering for another reason, and that is: to spread Islam.

Matters of Humanities: History of Islam in Europe
People are often surprised that the history of the Islam in Europe is so much more than a history of wars. It's also a story of diplomacy and trade, knowledge and arts, from Muslims living together with Christians and Europeans for centuries. Muslims and the Islam are not things that just 'happened' to Europe, they are part of Europe. In this podcast series, professor Maurits Berger talks about the history of the Islam in Europe: going back to the first Muslim who set foot in Europe, and seeing what kind of interactions have taken place between Muslims and Europeans since then.

Music score
• Ghada Shbeir: 'Ya Oumm Allah' (Middle East) • Amina Alaoui: 'Lamento de Tristan' (Florence) • Troevere Medieval Minstrels: 'Rassa tan creis' (France/Italy) •   Jordi Savall, 'Saltarello' (Spain) • Josef Foerster et al.: 'Svatý Václave (St.Wenceslas)' (Czech / Slowakia) • Nawa Shanbar:'Danzas Medievales Espanoles' (Spain) • Al-Firdaus Ensemble: 'Waslat Taba Li' (Andalusia)

Were the Muslims set on conquering Europe? And how did Europeans respond? In this first episode, Maurits Berger tells the stories of the first encounters between Europe and Islam. 

Matters of Humanities: History of Islam in Europe
People are often surprised that the history of the Islam in Europe is so much more than a history of wars. It's also a story of diplomacy and trade, knowledge and arts, from Muslims living together with Christians and Europeans for centuries. Muslims and the Islam are not things that just 'happened' to Europe, they are part of Europe. In this podcast series, professor Maurits Berger talks about the history of the Islam in Europe: going back to the first Muslim who set foot in Europe, and seeing what kind of interactions have taken place between Muslims and Europeans since then.

Music score
Ilias Valaris, aka DJ Valeron: 'Moroccan Night' (Europe) • Nay - Arabian Music: 'Hijaz' (Middle East) • Aicha Redouane: 'Allahu ya'lamu anna n-nafsa' (Andalusia) • Jordi Saval: 'A chantar m'er de so' (France) • Maria del mar Bonnet, 'Se Nuaven Alhasmarilon' (Balearic Islands) • unknown: Ukranian Middle Age Music (Ukraine) • Christodolous Halaris, Byzantine secular music - Master Lambadarios (Byzantine)

People are often surprised that the history of the Islam in Europe is so much more than a history of wars. It's also a story of diplomacy and trade, knowledge and arts, from Muslims living together with Christians and Europeans for centuries. Muslims and the Islam are not things that just 'happened' to Europe, they are part of Europe. In this podcast series, professor Maurits Berger talks about the history of the Islam in Europe: going back to the first Muslim who set foot in Europe, and seeing what kind of interactions have taken place between Muslims and Europeans since then.