After “The Times of the Roman Empire”, the second instalment of the collection looks at the most influential cultures that dominated the world around the year 800. In Europe, the reign of Charlemagne recreated a new Christian Roman Empire of Germanic influence. This new Europe replaced that of the Roman world centred around the Mediterranean. While Charlemagne « invented » schools in Europe, universities und libraries have been known to exist in China and India for a long time already. On the other side of the Mediterranean, the Arab world very rapidly installed an empire, spreading a new religion and a new civilisation… This voyage back in time takes us from Aix-la-Chapelle to Chang’An in China, from Damascus to Marrakech or to Istanbul.