A vital reference for everyone interested in Islamic inscriptions on buildings, objects and works of art. This beautifully illustrated book explains the importance of Islamic inscriptions and places them expertly in their historical and cultural context. It shows you how to decipher and interpret inscriptions and provides a standard for recording them. In addition, a fully annotated bibliography provides further reading on all aspects of Islamic epigraphy. Winner of the British Kuwait Friendship Society Al-Mubarak Prize 1999 for the best academic work on the Middle East