Abstract This special issue inquires into the changes under way among nomadic, pastoral peoples in Muslim societies that are concurrent with the construction of a heritage, whether from their culture's material or immaterial aspects (Bortolotto 2011) or through 'protected areas' or 'conservation sites'. The five articles herein focus on nomadic, pastoral groups in several areas in the Muslim world, ranging from North Africa to central Asia. They span two areas of study: how nomadic, pastoral societies cope with social changes and public policies (Bonte and Ben Hounet 2009, Sternberg and Chatty 2013); and how 'heritages' are made from traditional practices and objects. This special issue has come out of a roundtable organised in March 2014 by the team working on the comparative anthropology of Muslim societies and cultures (Laboratory of Social Anthropology, Collège de France, Paris). By limiting the scope to Muslim societies, a reasoned and reasonable comparison can be proposed within a vast, diversified sociocultural zone. Furthermore, the part played by a religious identity in heritage-making among nomadic, pastoral peoples can be brought to light.