Long before Muhammed preached the religion of Islam the inhabitants of his native Arabia had played an important role in world history as both merchants and warriors Arabia and the Arabs provides the only up-to-date one-volume survey of the region and its peoples from prehistory to the coming of Islam Using a wide range of sources - inscriptions poetry histories and archaeological evidence - Robert Hoyland explores the main cultural areas of Arabia from ancient Sheba in the south to the deserts and oases of the north. He then examines the major themes of *the economy *society *religion *art architecture and artefacts *language and literature *Arabhood and Arabisation The volume is illustrated with more than 50 photographs drawings and maps. . Language: English