For over 1,400 years, Muslims have been an integral part of Europe’s story, yet their contributions to the continent’s development and history have been pushed to the margins or erased altogether.

Today's guest is bringing some of these forgotten stories back to the forefront. Tharik Hussain is an award-winning author, historian, and journalist based in the UK who specialises in global Muslim heritage and culture.

He’s written a book on Islam in the Western Balkans, Minarets in the Mountains, and his latest book, Muslim Europe: A Journey in Search of a 1,400-Year History, reveals the ancient, long-forgotten roots of Islam on the continent and how deeply interconnected the story of Muslims is with the story of Europe.

Our conversation was so monumental that we broke it down into two parts. Catch Part 2 of our conversation next week!

This season, we want to hear from you!

Send us a short note with your name, where you’re calling in from, and an answer to two questions:

What gives YOU hope in this moment in time
Which place you are going to next

We’ll run your answers at the end of the season in our Community Voices episode! To participate, fill out this form OR send us a short audio clip (an iPhone voice recording is just fine!) to hello@goingplacesmedia.com by Monday, April 27.

Going Places is an audience-supported platform. Today, I want to invite you to become a paid member, so that we can continue doing this work in the months to come.

Join us for as little as $6 a month and get access to our membership perks. We just added a new one: now everyone, even at our lowest membership level, can tune into regular, quarterly Zoom check-ins with me. Our first one is in April.

Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more.

Thanks to our Founding Members:

RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel education
Radostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco

What you’ll learn in this episode:

How a layover in Cyprus led Tharik on this path
Muslim rule in the Mediterranean: Cordoba, Palermo, Toledo, & Cyprus
Where in Europe is the aunt of Prophet Muhammad buried
Red-haired sultans and Arabic-speaking Christian kings
The story of Cordoban Mezquita
Was Alhambra really a pleasure palace?
The Islamic roots of the European Renaissance
The myths of Matamoros and the 100-virgin tribute
Why the history of Islam in Europe is barely known today

Featured on the show:

Follow Tharik on Instagram: @tharik_hussain
Connect with Tharik on LinkedIn
Learn more about Tharik's work on his site
Read Minarets in the Mountains: A Journey into Muslim Europe
Check out Tharik's latest book, Muslim Europe: A Journey in Search of a 1,400-Year History
Learn about Britain’s first Muslim heritage trail, created by Tharik

Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com!

For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.

Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.