"L'Encyclopedie de l'Islam" (new edition) sets out the present state of our knowledge of the Islamic world. It is a unique and valuable reference tool, a key to understanding the world of Islam and the authoritative sources not only for the religion, but also for the believers and the countries in which they live. It contains articles on distinguished Muslims, on tribes and dynasties, on crafts and sciences, on political and religious institutions, on the geography, ethnography, flora and fauna of the various countries as well as on the history, topography and monuments of the major towns and cities. In its geographical and historical scope it encompasses the old Arabo-Islamic empire, Iran, Central Asia, the Indian sub-continent and Indonesia, the Ottoman Empire and all other Islamic countries.