Minarets in the Mountains: A Journey Into Muslim Europe (Bradt Travel Guides (Travel Literature))

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Tharik Hussain comes upon a Europe that would be unrecognisable to most of us who call the continent home. He found towns where “everything was halal” and the sound of the Muslim call to prayer is as normal as the ringing of church bells. This was not the constructed Europe found in books on politics and philosophy that tries to make the case for co-existence. The Europe he discovered is “organic” and “natural”; not just existing, but also flourishing with the confidence of that which is anchored deeply and proud. Adams-Michael Notch, located between these two minarets, is class 2-3 on both the east and west sides. This notch is used for the easiest route up Adams Minaret.

Hussain says: “I wanted to present the human story. I wanted to point out that even though Albania was colonized by the Ottomans and were guilty of many atrocities, particularly at the end of their rule, it was the Ottomans who made sure that all of the Jews from Spain, that wanted protection, were brought to the Balkans and settled there and had their safety guaranteed … Londoner Tharik Hussain sets off with his wife and young daughters around the Western Balkans, home to the largest indigenous Muslim population in Europe, and explores the regions of Eastern Europe where Islam has shaped places and people for more than half a millennium. Encountering blonde-haired, blue-eyed Muslims, visiting mystical Islamic lodges clinging to the side of mountains, and praying in mosques older than the Sistine Chapel, he paints a picture of a hidden Muslim Europe, a vibrant place with a breathtaking history, spellbinding culture and unique identity. Please consider supporting the show with a few dollars a month, less than a cup of coffee, to help keep our show alive and advertisement-free. There are 17 minarets that have been named after one of the first ascensionists (in a few cases a person from the second ascent to avoid duplication). While both Ritter and Banner were climbed in the 19th century, the Minarets did not see activity until the 1920's. Charles Michael, a Yosemite postmaster, along with his wife Enid were the first to record an ascent in 1923 of Michael Minaret. Over the next ten years most of the remaining minarets were climbed by various parties involving many of the famous climbers of the era, including Norman Clyde, Walter Starr, Jules Eichorn and Glen Dawson, among others. In 1948, Dyer Minaret was the last (and most difficult) of the group to be climbed. In 1933, Walter Starr's son went missing on a solo trip to the area. An intense search ensued, culminating in the discovery of his fallen body high on the slopes of Michael Minaret. His body was interred where it lay, and still rests there to this day. Thomas analyzed the views from the still-extant towers, and found that most of them did not command vistas that extended beyond the valley. Rather, many of the towers seem to have been constructed to conduct surveillance of the valley itself. Thomas speculates that the fortifications might have been built in the wake of the religious riots that swept Firuzkuh toward the end of the Ghurid Dynasty’s reign. It’s possible that even after the Ghurid sultan Ghiyath al-Din quit the remote summer capital for Herat, he wanted to keep an eye on his rebellious subjects in Firuzkuh. A network of fortifications intended to monitor threats inside the capital, rather than approaching foes, might have been a result of his concern. The sultan was perhaps right to be preoccupied with the possibility of internal instability. His successor was assassinated in 1215, an event that led to the collapse of the Ghurid Empire. It had lasted less than 70 years in all.Tharik Hussain’s friend and guide Idar gazes across Gjirokastër from the fort overlooking the town. Photograph: Tharik Hussain PDF / EPUB File Name: Minarets_in_the_Mountains_-_Tharik_Hussain.pdf, Minarets_in_the_Mountains_-_Tharik_Hussain.epub Against all of these issues, the travel writer Tharik Hussain has made a valuable contribution to increasing religious and cultural literacy through his account of travelling through the Western Balkans to learn about its Muslim history. To do this, he relies on the routes provided by the famous Ottoman explorer Evliya Çelebi (1611–1682), who is known for his celebrated ten-volume travelogue Seyāḥatnāme. I also enjoyed Tharik’s trip up into the mountains with his friend Idar; having worked in a secondary school myself, I loved the contrast between the caretaker’s persona in the UK and his greeting Tharik in Albania “like a Sicilian don in a smart striped shirt and white cotton trousers”. The car journey and the places they visit are very vivid; very evocatively described; culminating in a scene of great tranquillity and self-discovery.

Islamophobia is real and it could have started since long before. There have been aggressive attempts in replacing Muslim cultures, and deliberation of destroying them to the extent of writing up new and alternative narratives which is saddening. There are certainly historic blurring of religious lines across the Balkan. That’s not to say that the modern-day characters who Hussain encounters in his journey through the Balkans are any less interesting. On one wonderful occasion in Serbia, the author met a character embodying to perfection Prophet Muhammed’s instructions on generosity (peace be upon him). In this particularly moving episode, a vendor refused to take money for his daughter’s candy floss, an act of kindness which triggered a wave of emotion and an overwhelming sense of hope for humanity.

Sarajevo today is gorgeous and not a little hectic. They sure drive fast in the city, and there seemed to be a Dervish-like whirl of dense traffic. The call to prayer must be something of a novelty for many of the tourists. The magic prevails, however, for there can be no more compelling sound in a public place than this most evocative call to piety. Many of the women in Sarajevo wore the hijab. True, some of the souvenirs may possibly be Made in China, but there is sufficient local color and exoticness to make your head swivel. We drank an awful lot of Turkish coffee, and none of it was awful. Nor was the baklava, or the ubiquitous Turkish delight. You can have falafel and doner kebabs coming out of your ears. The authenticity of the ensemble of the Minaret of Jam and the vestiges that surround it has never been questioned. The Minaret has always been recognised as a genuine architectural and decorative masterpiece by the experts and an artistic chef-d'oeuvre by the aesthetes. Its monumental Kufic inscriptions testify to the remote and glorious origin of its builders as well as giving evidence to its early dating (1194). No reconstruction or extensive restoration work has ever taken place in the area. Ritter Pass is the easiest route across the Ritter Range. It is also a bit inconvenient for approaches to the Minarets with the exception of Waller Minaret, and not often used by climbers.

The Minarets are one of the most striking mountain features in all of the Sierra Nevada. This large collection of pinnacles rises sharply from its surroundings, creating an incredibly serrated skyline in the heart of the the Ansel Adams Wilderness. There is a fine view of the Minarets from the summit of Mammoth Mountain, a popular ski resort in the Eastern Sierra. They can also be seen (albeit briefly) from US395 while driving between Bishop and Mammoth Lakes. The Minarets are part of the Ritter Range, the remnants of an ancient volcanic massive that predates most of the Sierra granite. Nearby Mt. Ritter, the highpoint of the range, along with Banner Peak dominate the area for views and sheer size, but it is the Minarets that bring that special combination of inspiration, respect and a bit of fear to the hearts of mountaineers. Minarets in the Mountains is a travel narrative, but it is also a book about the author himself. Bangladesh born Tharik grew up in 1980’s East London, where he faced his own challenges as an immigrant during a time in which racism and xenophobia was on the rise. The book explores the historic roots of Islamophobia in Europe, as the author grapples with his multi-faceted identity, and considers where he and his mixed race Muslim family (Tharik’s wife, Tamara,is English), fit into modern Europe. In this context, visiting indigenous Muslim communities, who are a part of Europe’s very fabric, becomes more pertinent.

Since the decline and eventual collapse of the Ottoman empire in the region, the subsequent emergence of nation states and a Christian resurgence in the 19th century, some of these Muslim communities faced increasing hostility and uncertain futures. Others saw their heritage threatened by secularisation and communism. Despite periods of violence, the worst of which saw ethnic cleansing and the attempted erasure of an entire heritage, the Muslim culture and legacy of Europe, still lives on today. As our rented white Megane struggled up the steep cobbled roads of the “city of stone”, Idar was staring out of the window openmouthed, admiring the Ottoman houses scattered over the hillside. Gjirokastër still clearly had the charm of Evliya’s Ergiri, for this was the longest he had gone without taking a drag on a cigarette. T urner Minaret - 11,600ft, class 4 The traverse from Jensen Minaret is class 3. The East Face is 5.8, the East Side is 5.4.

Minarets in the Mountains is the first English travel narrative to explore indigenous Muslim Europe in the 21st century- and the first to do so through the eyes of a Muslim writer. It should not be significant that this is a book by a Muslim writer, but in an industry still dominated by White voices, and White perspectives, it issignificant – and something worth celebrating. While modern travel literature has moved on from the stark racist language of the colonial period, it cannot be denied that in the works of even the most well intentioned travel writers, the vestiges of orientalist writing are often still apparent, with local people in the countries being written about routinely ‘othered’ through language. That element is noticeably and refreshingly absent in Tharik’s writing.

During this session, Tharik Hussain takes us on the journey that led to this, his debut bestselling book 'Minarets in the Mountains' which was Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction and shortlisted for the Stanfords Dolman Travel Book of the Year.Tharik is an author, travel writer and journalist specialising in Muslim heritage and culture. His debut book was named a Book of the Year by the New Statesman, Prospect Magazine and the Times Literary Supplement, and a Travel Book of the Year by The Washington Post and Newsweek. He has also written Lonely Planet guidebooks on Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Thailand, London and Britain, and developed Britain’s very first Muslim heritage trails in Woking, Surrey.