Covering fortifications as far apart as North Africa, Afghanistan and northern India, this volume focuses on the Islamic side of the conflict, highlighting the fortifications in use when the Crusaders sought to reconquer the Holy Land, as well as the eventual absorption of the territories of Byzantium into the Islamic world.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 61-63) and index.

Introduction -- Design and development. Egypt and Syria before the Seljuks -- The Great Seljuks and their rivals -- Atabegs and the Seljuks' successors -- Anatolian Seljuks and Ayyubids -- The Mamluks --The Mongols and after -- Islamic India -- The living sites. Egypt and Syria before the Seljuks -- Seljuks and Atabegs -- The Ayyubids -- Mamluks, Mongols and Timurids -- The sites at war. The Middle East before the Seljuks -- The Great Seljuks -- Ayyubids and Mamluks -- The Mongols and after -- Aftermath.