The volume, part of the Handbook of Oriental Studies collection, analyzes the formation and evolution of Andalusian cities from the early centuries of Islamic presence on the Peninsula until the end of the Middle Ages.
Drawing on four decades of archaeological research, study of Arabic sources, and ethnoarchaeological approaches, the authors challenge the traditional image of the medina as a static and 'timeless' reality, proposing a dynamic reading of al-Andalus's urban landscapes.
Moving beyond a history focused solely on particular cases, the book presents interpretive models to explain how medieval medinas continuously adapted to social, economic, and political changes, thereby revising some stereotypes inherited from Orientalist historiography.
