Transcript Islamic Civilization & Culture - Miami Beach Senior High School

Islamic Civilization
& Culture
SS.B.2.4.1; SS.A.3.4.4; SS.D.2.4.6;
SS.A.1.4.1; SS.A.1.4.2; SS.B.1.4.4
Islamic Prosperity
 Trade with China, Byzantine Empire,
India and Southeast Asia= rich Arabs
 Camel caravans carry trade from
Morocco to countries past Caspian Sea
 Trade=rich cities; Baghdad, Cairo &
Damascus were centers of culture/$$$
 Bazaar: central market for the city
Islamic Society
 To be Muslim is not to worship Allah, but
to live as the Quran says. As Allah
decreed, so mush humans live
 “All men are equal” the poor of Islamic
society got more respect than the poor of
Europe, China and India; however
slavery did exist (slaves not =)
 Slaves mostly served in military, and
were always non-Muslims
Role of Women
 Quran grants spiritual and social equality
 Woman allowed to earn money, own
property, played role in spread of Islam
 Islam teaches different roles form men
and women in social & family structure
 Men protect women, patriarchal society
 Men allowed more than one wife; dowry
 Women could choose to marry, divorce
 Quran does not required veiled women
Preservation of Knowledge
 In the time of the Arab Empire, the
writings of the Greeks were forgotten in
Europe.
 Greek writings translated into Arabic,
placed in a library called The House of
Wisdom in Baghdad
 Paper comes to M.E. from China
 Books, bookstores and libraries become norm
 Europe rediscovers writings of Greeks
and Romans in 1100s
Arab Art & Knowledge
 Gave Europeans number system, and
introduced the number “0” (zero)
 Ibn-Rushd provides commentary to
Greek philosophy
 Arab astronomers develop the astrobale
 Ibn-Sina writes medical encyclopedia
intro ideas like contagious disease
 Ibn-Khaldun historian introduces the
cyclical nature of history
Art & Architecture
 Islamic art and architecture draws from
Arab, Persian and Turkish tradition
 Mosques are best example of Islamic art
 Minaret: towers attached to mosques
 Samarra mosque in Iraq was largest of
its kind
 Alhambra palace in Granada is good rep
of arabesque architecture
 Arabesque: repeated geometric patterns
decorating buildings