Spread of IslamIslamic Culture

The Spread of Islam

When Islam spread, Arabic culture was combined with native cultures to create a truly international flavor

Rise of Muslim cities• As a symbol of their culture,

Muslim rulers put a lot of work into their cities

• Great cities were Cordoba, Cairo, Jerusalem and especially the Abbasid capital of Baghdad

• Baghdad was built in a circular design formed by three protective walls

• The caliph’s palace was made of marble and stone along with a grand mosque

Continuing Rome’s learning

• After the decline of Rome, scholarship in Europe declined and may have been lost if it hadn’t been for Muslim leaders and scholars

• The House of Wisdom was opened in the early 800s in Baghdad

• It was a combination of a library, academy and translation center – texts were translated from Greece, India, Persia, etc. into Arabic

Muslim literature

• Qu’ran is the standard for all Arabic literature and poetry

• Famous popular literature included The Thousand and One Nights, a collection of fairy tales, parables, and legends

• Parts came from India and Persia but the people of the Muslim Empire added to it

Muslim art

• Muslims believe that only Allah can create life, so images of living beings were discouraged

• Many artists turned to calligraphy, the art of beautiful handwriting

Arabesque

Arabesque decoration is a complex, ornate design, usually incorporating flowers, leaves, and geometric patterns. The designs can be found at mosques, mosaics, textiles, and sculptures.

Muslim architecture

• Great Muslim architecture is generally found in mosques

• It often blended Muslim ideas with Byzantine ones and included ideas from the area

Cordoba Mosque in Spain

Medical Advances • al-Razi, a Persian scholar, was the greatest physician of the Muslim world

• Wrote an encyclopedia called the Comprehensive Book that drew on Greek, Syrian and Arabic knowledge and Treatise on Smallpox and Measles

• Believed patients would be healthier if they breathed clean air

al-Razi

Math and science

• Muslim scholars made two great contributions in the areas of math and science:

1. Reliance on scientific observation and experimentation

2. The ability to find mathematical solutions to old problems

• Greek scholars preferred logical reasoning rather than conducting experiments

• Spent time studying astronomy and charted stars, comets, and planets

Impact on Society• Math:

Al-Jabr: wrote a book on a math technique today we call Algebra

• Science:

Ibn-Alhazen: wrote a book called Optics

• Art:

Calligraphy

The Thousand and One Nights

Impact on Society• Medicine:

Ibn-Sina: Discovered tuberculosis is contagious, can spread through water & soil, person’s emotional health is influenced by the physical health, 1st to describe: Meningitis, parts of the eye, &valves of the heart

• Geography:

Ibn-Battuta: Muslim Explorer who traveled over 75, 000 miles and to every Muslim land, detailed map information and worked for foreign leaders

Muslim philosophy

• The House of Wisdom translated the works of Greek philosophers into Arabic

• The greatest Muslim philosopher was Ibn Rushd (also known as Averroes) who was critizied for trying to blend Aristotle’s and Plato’s views with those of Islam

Ibn Rushd

Assignment (Activity 3.4.5)Islamic Museum Brochure

• With one partner, prepare a brochure for a museum exhibit about Muslim learning, culture, and history

• Take one sheet of copy paper and fold in half – on the front, create a cover design for your exhibition

• Choose 3 different elements of Muslim learning, culture and history

• You must describe each element with words and pictures that you draw – no clip art!