☰Islam and the West

Bernard Lewis's Islam and the West examines the long, tangled relationship between Islamic civilization and Western Europe. Lewis traces how each side perceived and misperceived the other over more than a millennium, from the early Arab conquests through the Crusades to the modern era. The book is particularly useful for understanding Turkey's unique position as a bridge between the two worlds. A thoughtful, accessible read for anyone traveling in Turkey who wants historical context for what they're seeing.