In the seventh century, a great new religion was born and rose up in the deserts of what is now Saudi Arabia. Within 200 years, the religion had spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa, and then through the Moors into Southern Spain and Portugal. By the 13th century it had spread through the Ottomans into Eastern Europe, and by the 15th, through the Mughal’s to India. In this episode of Empire Builders, we explore ten sites that made history as we chart the rise and fall of these great Muslim empires.

Using CGI, contributions from experts in their fields and re-enactments, we visit sites such as the Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem, and the Great Mosque of Damascus, home of the Ummayid dynasty. We also explore the Mezquita Mosque in Cordoba, Spain, arguably the greatest building in Moorish Spain and the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, home of the Ottoman sultans for hundreds of years. In Iran, we visit the fabulous Shah Mosque (now known as the Iman Mosque built by the Ottomans’ rivals, the Persian Safavids) and in Agra, India, we explore the Taj Mahal, the greatest building constructed by the Mughal Empire’s Shah Jahan.