17 - The Sword, The Poet and the Philosopher

With the central authority of the Caliphate in decline, Emirs of regional and city states prospered.  One of the most successful of these was Aleppo in Syria, where warrior prince Sayf al-Dawla (Sword of the State) sponsored the greatest Arabic poet, al-Mutanabbi and the second great Arabic philosopher, al-Farabi.  In this episode we look at the flourishing artistic and intellectual climate in a time of constant military conflict.