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.