In this book, illustrations of rare archaeological artefacts and selected masterpieces from the very first centuries of Islam are used to chart the development of the religious culture forward into times of bold innovation. Additional illustrations of ancient aesthetic forms and practices also demonstrate their origins in pre-Islamic cultures.

With the development of early Islamic culture and its roots in pre-Islamic culture published together here in this way for the first time, this book gives a deep insight into one of the most fascinating periods of human history. This new book, and the artefacts themselves from the Museum of Islamic Art in the famous Pergamon Museum Berlin, will travel to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates later this year, when Sharjah becomes the Arab Cultural Capital of 2014. The Pergamon is one of the world’s leading museums on Islamic art and archaeology, with particularly signifi cant holdings of early Islamic art.