Transcript 3.4.4 Spread and Culture of Islam

Spread of Islam
Islamic 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
• 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
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
Ibn Rushd
• 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
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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!