This first study of its kind cuts across and brings together the political and cultural histories of the medieval Near East. The peculiar episode of the Fatimid Armenians (1074-1163) and other phenomena earlier on are given their proper background and context; the 'Armenian Period' in the last century of the Fatimid caliphate in Egypt is shown to be a major phase in the perpetual alliance between Armenian sectarians and Muslims.
The reconstruction of this to date unstudied subject also reveals new relevant data. Through its methodology, this book proposes fresh criteria and perspectives for the evaluation of patterns of cultural and political interaction in Near Eastern history.

Contributions by: Francis Moloney, Paul N. Anderson, John Painter, Peder Borgen, Johannes Beutler S.J., Gail R. O'Day, Robert Kysar, Maarten J.J. Menken, Ludger Schenke, Marianne Meye Thompson