A new exhibit at a museum in St Albans has highlighted the hidden connections between the historic Hertfordshire city and the Islamic world.
The country’s first martyr, Saint Alban, was beheaded by the Romans around 305 AD and gave his name to the City.
The cathedral built in his honour became a popular pilgrimage site for Christians, but in the 13th Century, the heart of a deceased abbott was found to have been buried inside a traditional Islamic box, without any explanation as to how or why.
Listen below to discover more about Abbott Roger de Norton, and the intertwined history of St Albans and the Islamic world.
Featured image: Robert Cutts via Flickr
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