Behind the clamorous headlines of militant and political Islam lies a more serene and cultivated form of traditional Islam. Jean-Louis Michon, a UNESCO advisor tasked with preserving the architectural and artistic heritage of Islam, unveils this lesser-known dimension of the world's second largest religion.--From publisher description.

Islam: foundations -- Islam and urban civilzation -- The sources -- The pillars of Islam -- The functions of the city -- The message of Islamic art -- Art; an integral part of Muslim life -- The formal languages -- Art within the city, or how the message of divine unity becomes imprinted in the Muslim living environment -- Music and spirituality in Islam -- A controversial question -- The philosopher-musicologists -- Sufis and the spiritual concert -- The elements of musical expression -- Musical genres -- The mystical quest in Islam: scriptural and historical roots -- The way to God: conjunction of human effort and divine effusion -- The spiritual meetings -- Spiritual progress.