At the end of my visit to Morocco last January, I had to spent quite a few hours at the small Marrakech airport due to a delayed flight. They have a small bookshop in the departure area, and that's where I enjoyed browsing several books on Islamic architecture.

I did not make a choice then, but at home I ordered this one at Amazon:
Islam: Art and Architecture by Markus Hattstein (Author, Editor), Peter Delius (Editor)

The subject is mainly Architecture. It has 600 pages, very good photography (showing the monuments from different angles) and a good outline of the history of the main islamic empires of the past. Lots of WHS are highlighted, in Iran, Uzbekistan, Syria, Egypt, Morocco etc, with a lot more info and context provided than in general books on WHS.

So, I was really happy with this purchase and can recommend it to anyone interested in history and architecture.

This has been a favourite book in my collection for a few years so I can second the recomendation. It is also exceptionally well priced for such a large and well produced book.

We must all "think alike" as I also have it! Well worth having - I acquired mine as hard back version second hand (Published by Konemann) so it could be worth trawling the appropriate Web sites if you prefer to have hard back books!

In order to ensure that the sensitivities of (some/many??) Moslems are not offended, perhaps recommendations for this book should come with a warning that it contains depicitions of the Prophet Mohammed! One of the reviews of the book on amazon.com fulminates against the ignorance of the authors/editors for reprinting these depictions!!

I presume these depicitions have survivied into the paperback version - the section commencing around page 14 on "The Life of Mohammed"? I was well aware that Islamic views about the depiction of Mohammed had varied over time and by culture but hadn't perhaps realised that they were being done as late as 16th century - most of the examples given are Ottoman and are in a book kept in the Topkapi - but I bet the pages are not on display (except perhaps the ones where Mohammed is veiled in order to overcome the restriction?)!

As so often happens such subjects lead on to other examples - this wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depictions_of_Muhammad provides an introduction for anyone who might be interested. I wasn't aware for instance that the US Supreme Court contains a frieze with a depiction of Mohammed - and that this fact has been quietly downgraded in the tourist literatue! Also that there is a Renaissance depiction in the Basilica at Bologna of Mohammed being tortured in hell (apprently there was a plot in 2002 to destroy this church!). I note that the Bologna T List proposal is only for the Porticoes of that city - otherwise "no chance"!