The Islamic World

The Islamic culture refers to the customs that the Islamic people adopted in the various settings. These include clothing, wedding traditions, food, as well as the mode of prayer. It is imperative to note that the early practices among the Muslims have largely affected the Muslims all over the world. The culture of the Muslims is clearly adopted from the practices that were carried out between the 17th and 18th centuries. This mainly includes art used in mosques and the prayer rituals too (Ibrahim and Siddique 67).

The Islamic art development happened in the period from the 7^th to the 18^th century, and it can be classified into three periods (Maceachern 68). These periods form a historical sequence of how they unfolded. The first period was the formative period that coexisted with the rule of the early Islamic leaders. This occurred between 661 and750 years when Umayyad caliphs extended Islam from Syria to Spain. This was followed by the middle period when Abbasid caliphs existed between (750-1258). This was then followed by the Mongol conquest that ran from 1258 up to the 18th century. This marked the last phase of the art development (Sir and Gibb 34).

From the beginning of the 7th century in West Asia, there was an upsurge of the rich Islamic culture. This culture was many sided and highly distinctive. The culture that developed in East Asia also spread tremendously to other nations. These included France, India, China, and many other nations. The mode of life that spread from this culture affected most of the world. The mode of life among the Muslims spread to most of the world and affected the thought and way of life among the Muslims (Ibrahim and Siddique 67). It began in Arabia and affected the social life of the people in the Arabian Empire radically. This culture played a monumental role as far as the foundation of the Arabian Empire is concerned.

Key among the things that evolved from the past practices is preaching in the mosques. Preaching in the mosque became manifested between the 7th and 18th century. The book illustration became a pivotal Islamic artwork in that period. This has continually been done in the mosques where preaching happens (Maceachern 68). The Muslim faithfuls all over the world gather in their various mosques to listen to the preaching in the mosques. The art that Islamic people practiced in this period focused on the book arts, as it was viewed as educative to the public. The Muslims also pray facing Mecca, which they call the HolyCity. This could be because their father Mohamed lived in this city (Ibrahim and Siddique 67).

Before the establishment of the mosque, people used to gather in this house to pray. This was the period when Mohammad just began teaching the new faith. He was then a supremely wealthy merchant who lived in Mecca. His home setting was used to establish the mosque format (Maceachern 68). It is notable that up to date, mosques are normally established in line with the format of Mohammad’s house.

Architecture in this period grew extensively. One unique establishment in this period was the Süleymaniye Mosque that was built in 1550. An architect called Sinan who based the design on Hagia Sophia Byzantine Church built the mosque (Ibrahim and Siddique 67). The design of the church consisted of a central dome that was uncommonly large. Other domes that were half of the size surrounded the main dome. This design has largely been used in the construction of the present day mosques. Other mosques the formats and architectural plans of which were made in this period include A1 Mihrab and A2 Courtyard, which are in Jerusalem (Ruggles 67). The Dome of the Rock is another Islamic structure that highly influenced on the Islamic culture; it is built on the sacred rock where the faithful people believe Mohammad ascended to heaven (Ibrahim and Siddique 68). It was established in the late 7th century(Maceachern 68).The design of the mosques used to date was largely influenced by the designs of the early days mosques.

Other architectural value that was developed during this period was mimbar that refers to the pulpit. This was in the mosque of Medina. It was firstly used as a seat, but with some time, it was used as a pulpit on which the preacher stood. This has continued to date and has, thus, become a culture within the Islamic faith. The maqsurra was also initiated in this period. This refers to an enclosure or screen that protects the community leaders during the service rituals. This developed after murdering three caliphs during services.

Many mosques incorporate this feature into their construction (Maceachern 98). This has, thus, developed into the culture that well explains that the practices used initially have been passed now. In that period, very few rituals were remarkably candid in the Islamic faith. With the time, these rituals gave a rise to the religious architecture used by Muslims in their present day culture. These include the mosque where the community gathered for prayer and the religious school or madrasa. A madrassa was firstly introduced in Iran under the Abbasids. It was based on the Sassanian Architecture. Madrassas are nowadays the common culture among the Muslim schools and mosques (Sir and Gibb 34).

Architecture in this period also saw the establishment of city palaces and caravansaries that are peculiar. They show an access to water and shelter from the heat. The other pertinent establishment in culture, in this period, was the mausoleum that served as a tomb of the holy men and the principal rulers. This served to symbolize power. This has largely influenced on the culture of the Islamic faith to this date. Another feature developed in this period was an architectural decoration introduced in the Middle East.

Textiles were also valued in the Islamic culture as they were taken as the luxury objects. They were then made in the Islamic workshops, and they ranged from silk to linen and other materials. The words for textiles to date are mainly derived from the Islamic world. Other artistic features that grew from this period include glass ceramics and calligraphy among others. Ceramics art also emerged in this period mainly in pottery and wall tiles. The carpet industry also rose markedly during this period, and new designs for carpets were developed. The industry is large up to date among the Muslims. The designs that are used were originated between the 8th and 17th century (Maceachern 168).

The Islamic law is also based on the words of the Quran written by Mohammad. This is based on the teachings of Mohammad that were mainly done on the 7th century. The culture is also well drawn from the words of Mohammad as the faithful people sacredly practice his teachings (Ruggles 104). The education also grew in this session, especially in Arabs, notably in the 9th century. In this time, Baghdad became the largest centre where sciences, mathematics and geography were taught. There was also an emergence of Muslims as experts in many fields academically (Ibrahim and Siddique 47).

The Arab people also established the trading contracts and, by the end of the 7th century, the Arabs were trading in Malaab coast. Muslims got their trading roots from these first Muslims. It is notable that Muslims are highly engaged in blooming businesses. The culture has, thus, developed from the first Muslims highly engaged in trade. Trade has also largely developed because Mohammad was a prophet and a merchant at the same time (Sir and Gibb 34).