A discussion of the religious thought and social context of premodern Islamic civilization (ca. 700-1700). Because urban centers were the center of this global culture, it will focus on intellectual and social life in some of the great cities of the premodern Islamic world. Through a close analysis of some key examples of religious thought and social structures in these cities, this course will trace the rise and fall of premodern Islamic civilization, one of the most materially powerful and culturally advanced in all of world history.