North Africa

A victorious Byzantine emperor on a hunt, Egyptian ivory relief, c. 7th century. Walters Art Museum (CC0).

Arab Invasion of Africa: The First Islamic Empire

During the seventh century the Arabs invaded North Africa three times, bringing not just Islam but a language and customs that were alien to the Berber tribes of the Sahara.

‘The Capture of Carthage’, by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, c. 1725-29. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Public Domain.

Carthage: The God in the Stone

‘Carthage must be destroyed’ - words from Cato the Elder to seal the Punic city’s fate in its epic struggle with Ancient Rome. But what was its religion and society like?