Opening Question (3/5)• What country did Islam begin in? What are the two

most important cities in Islam?• What is the language of Islam? • Why did Islam split between two different factions

and what are the names of those factions?

• TEST on Islam, Russians, and Byzantines next class• If you have any make up work, turn it in!!! I am not

going to hold your hand through the last quarter and a half…

The Split of Islam into Sunnis and Shiites• Main Idea = Islam split because there was a

disagreement about who was going to be the leader of the Islamic Empire– Political unity only lasted a few decades for Islam– Caliph = Leader of Islamic Empire– After Muhammad there are four “rightly guided” caliphs

that rule a united Islamic Empire• Abu Bakr (632-634 AD)• Umar (634-644 AD)• Uthman (644-656 AD)• Ali (656-661 AD)

– Death of Ali signifies the break in Islam between Sunnis and Shiites

Sunnis• Believe that anyone who is capable of ruling can rule– Thought that the caliphs could be chosen by choice of leading

Muslims– Did not give caliphs any type of exalted or holy status (do not

detract from Muhammad)• Sunnis have a less elaborate and less powerful religious

hierarchy than Shiites• In most cases the state governments have more power

than the religious leaders• 90% of Muslims in the world• Middle Eastern Countries that are mostly Sunni– Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Syria

Shiites• Believe that only the descendants of the caliph

Ali are supposed to rule Muslims– Believed Ali was direct bloodline of Muhammad and

thus divine– Shiites reject ruler that are picked by Sunnis

• Shiites have more traditional and symbolic views• Today are less than 10% of Muslims in the World• Middle Eastern Countries that are mostly Shiite– Iran and Iraq

Sunni/Shiite still believe in some of the same things….

• Common Beliefs between Sunnis and Shiites:– All believe in Allah (Arabic word for God)– All believe that Muhammad is the prophet and

messenger of Allah– All believe that one must follow Muhammad’s

revelations (the Qur'an)– All believe in the Five Pillars– All believe in piety (being moral person), striving to

be good, and social justice• Islam means = Obedience/Submission to Allah

Islamic CultureThe Arts and Sciences of the Muslims

3/5/10

What you need to know!!! * How did Islamic civilization preserve and extend ancient Greek, Persian, and Indian learning? * What were some contributions of Islamic civilization?

* How was art and architecture influenced by the religion of Islam?

Art• Most Important thing to understand: Muslims

forbid the displaying of images of Muhammad, Allah or any other religious figures– Most of the Islamic artwork are geometrical or floral

patterns– Muslim used their writing (Arabic) to create designs

and pictures• Arabic Calligraphy – very difficult to master

– Muslims also used mosaics much like the Byzantines• Although their mosaics were created to make large

patterns and designs • Did not make religious images like the Byzantines did

Islamic Artwork that uses Arabic Calligraphy

Examples of Muslim art using geometrical patterns and

designs… notice of none of this art has pictures of people

To The Left = Patterns in a Muslim Dome

On the Bottom = Muslim Prayer Rug

Literature• The most important piece of literature to the Muslims

is their holy book the Koran (Qur'an)– Means - “Recitations” in Arabic

• Muhammad’s revelations from Allah

• Books – Arabian Nights (aka - 1001 Nights)– Story of an Islamic ruler who is set to execute his wife and

she delays her execution by telling him a story every night until he ultimately forgets• Becomes the basis of many famous modern tales

– Aladdin, Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, Sinbad the Sailor, etc…

• Poetry – Rubaiyat – collection of Persian poems– Used popular form of rhyme patterns that became world

famous• Ex – AABB or ABAB rhyming patterns

Pictures of the Qur’an

*notice the designs and patterns*

Architecture (Mosques are Most Important)

• Mosque - At first very simple, over time became more elaborate– Building were religious services are held– No furniture or pictures in them

• Some of the most famous mosques– Dome of the Rock – in Jerusalem, Israel– Great Mosque at Mecca – in Mecca, Saudi Arabia– Prophet’s Mosque at Medina – in Medina, Saudi

Arabia– Blue Mosque – in Istanbul, Turkey (originally named

Constantinople) *same place Hagia Sophia is at!!!

Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem(HAVE TO BE ABLE TO

RECOGNIZE THIS)

Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey (formerly Constantinople)

Architecture Continued… still looking mosques • Muslims used the arch just like the Romans

– Arches looked a little different though• Muslims used domes just like the Romans did

– Domes traditionally have a pointed top though (kind of like the Onion Domes we saw in Russia)

Features of a Mosque• Minaret – towers from where times for prayer are called out

– Each day they call out five times – one of the five pillars of Islam– They will call out for Friday services as well

• Mihrab – a hallow niche that indicates which direction Mecca is• Minbar – a platform where the Imam (holy man) leads prayer or delivers his

sermon

• Kaaba = Most important monument/structure in Islam – located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia – Grey stone in a box shape with a black cover– Is the holiest shrine in all of Islam– Originally housed many polytheistic statues and icons– When Muhammad and his followers captured Mecca they destroyed the states and icons and

rededicated it to Allah– Muslims take their holy pilgrimage (Hajj) to it

Minarets (basically are towers coming out of Mosques)

Islamic Domes

much like Roman ones but with

points at the top

Islamic Arches – like Roman arches with one difference (what do you notice?)

Kaaba – located in Mecca

Learning• Universities are built all over Islamic territory– The Islamic institutions kept the advances made by

the Greeks and Romans alive• They have them because of the expansion of the Hellenistic

Empire of Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire which extended into the Middle East

– First universities issued diplomas in medicine• Arabs built huge libraries in every major city– They store the knowledge of past major civilizations– Modern libraries are modeled after Arab libraries– Many of the Greek and Roman texts were translated

in Arabic and stored in Arab libraries

Geography (knowledge of the world around them)

• Knew a lot about the world because Arabs were such active traders (traveled around the world a lot)– Had a natural interest in astrology, maps, and navigation– At 1st they used Greek Maps

• Most famous geographer – Al-Idrisi– Sent men in different directions to draw out what they observed– Combined all their drawing and observations– Helped expand the knowledge of the rest of the world

• The Astrolabe - most important tool invented by Arabs for navigation– Helps calculate latitude, longitude, and time of day

• Adapted from a Greek invention• Arabs improved on it to make it better

– Will be used by every trader/traveler in Europe and the Middle East• Without it European Explorations would not be possible (ex – Christopher

Columbus)

Astrolabe

Al-Idrisi’s Map of the Islamic World

Thing the Arabs borrowed from other societies

• The Arabs, like the Romans, used the best methods/techniques/skills of other societies to better themselves…– China = Paper– Greeks = Science and Philosophy– Romans = Architecture (Domes and Arches)– India = Number System and Astrology

• They had the most advanced society in the world at one point in history

Math (Mostly from the Indians)• Learned their number system from Indians

(including the concept of “0”)– When it got passed on to the Europeans it got the

name Arabic system because the Europeans thought the Arabs created it

• Decimal system used came from India as well• The field of Algebra first came from the Arabs– Created by Al-Khwarizmi– called “Al-jabr” – which means “restoring”

“Al-Jabr” = Algebra (to restore)

Medicine• Studied the works of the Greeks• Doctors had to pass tough medical exam to practice

medicine in Islamic territories• Had several methods for surgery– Used anesthesia (used to put patients to sleep)– Used antiseptic (used to sterilize and disinfect)

• Methods found their way into Europe through the Moors in Spain

• Knew that bacteria and viruses cause disease (not known in Europe until the 1800’s!!!)

• Had free hospitals in Baghdad– Hospitals were clean and efficient compared to most during

the time period• also had the 1st pharmaceutical (drugs) school

End of Day Question (3/5)

• http://home.comcast.net/~DiazStudents/whistory_units1.htm