Middle Eastern Studies presents: Timur Kuran

Timur Kuran is one of the most eminent scholars working on the economic and political history of the Middle East. His works so far have tried to explain why Middle Eastern economies and polities stagnated after centuries of glory in early medieval period. His explanation especially focuses on the role of some Islamic legal institutions as opposed to explanations like colonialism, geography, Muslim attitudes, or some inherent incompatibility between Islam, capitalism and the rule of law.