Sheik Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates

The preservation and acquisition of knowledge were important during the Islamic Empire. As the Islamic Empire spread from the Arabian Peninsula to new lands, ideas and discoveries spread as well. The magnitude of the empire meant that there were many people and places newly connected through trade and a political structure. In this topic, you will learn about the many cultural and scientific achievements made by the people living in the early Islamic period.

Essential Questions

• How did political unity and the Arabic language facilitate trade and stimulate economic activity?
• What were the important contributions of the Islamic civilization?

 

Warm-Up

Arabic calligraphy is a written form of Arabic script that is considered both art and communication. Some Arabic calligraphy dates back more than a thousand years to the tenth century; yet it is still used today. An example of Arabic calligraphy is shown in this image, which is considered a zoomorphic version of calligraphy because it uses animal imagery.

There are other types of Arabic calligraphy. For example, Kufic style is a basic, clean style that uses geometric shapes. The Naskh style is the most commonly used style of Islamic calligraphy; it is easier to write, as it uses slender, simple movements to make the writing. Lastly, there is a style based on symbolism that includes inanimate representations, animals, zoomorphisms, and interwoven written words to form calligrams.

For this warm-up, create your own piece of calligraphy using the English alphabet. You may use upper or lower case letters to spell out your name in design form. The letters should create a symbol or design that represents something about your life. Please write your calligraphy by hand or with a digital document in a paint or graphics program.