1. Islamic Civilization
Chapter 6 Section 3

2. Prosperity in the Islamic World
Extensive trading network that included the Islamic world, China, India, and Byzantium
Imports to the empire - slaves, gold, ivory (Africa) silk, porcelain (China), sandalwood, spices (SE Asia, India)
Produced within – grain, linens, dates, precious stones, and textiles

3. The Role of Cities
Baghdad known as the City of Peace – was the greatest city in the empire and one of the greatest in the world
Cairo and Damascus as well
All three were centers for administrative, cultural, and economic activities
Cordoba – capital of Umayyad Spain

4. The Role of Cities Islamic cities had distinct appearances Bazaars
Urban buildings for government officials
Mosques for worship
Public buildings, public baths, and bazaars
Bazaars
covered markets where goods from various regions were sold
They had inspectors for mostly sanitary and safety reasons
Also had shops, laundries and bath houses

5. The Importance of Farming
Arab Empire more urban than other areas of the world
The majority of the people lived as farmers or herders
At first small farmers (peasants) owned the land, later on it was wealthy land owners (sound familiar?)
Lands owned by states were farmed by slave labor
River valleys most remained independent

6. Islamic Society Being a Muslim means more than worshipping Allah
Life must be lived according to Allah’s teachings in the Quran
Quran is compiled in 635
All of life’s questions are dictated and answered through Islamic teachings

7. Social Structure In Islam all people are equal in the eyes of Allah
Sound great on paper, hard to put into practice
Upper class well defined and had more than merchants and farmers
Slaves no where near equal – most coming from Africa and non-Muslim populations (a Muslim can’t be a slave)
Slaves served in the army (most were freed)
Female slaves used as domestic servants
Slaves must be treated fairly – good act to free them (Charity)

8. The Role of Women Quran grants spiritual and social equality to women
Could earn money, own and inherit property
Women had different duties than men
Women have a male guardian
Arranged marriages
Men could have up to 4 wives – didn’t happen often because a dowry a gift of money or property, had to be paid to the brides

9. The Role of Women
Could enter into a marriage freely and could divorce under certain circumstances
Adultery is forbidden
Some older customs override the freedom afforded to Muslim women
Covering of almost all body parts is widely accepted, but not dictated by the Quran rather traditional Arab customs
Even though they had restrictions, they had more freedom that most women during that time period

10. The Culture of Islam
Chapter 6 Section 4

11. Preservation of Knowledge
Aware of other ancient civilizations like Greece
Important Greek works were translated into Arabic
Read and studied by Muslim scholars kept in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad
Made easier by making paper
Paper factories were established in Baghdad followed by booksellers and libraries
Thanks to the Arabic translations Greek works survived and were translated into Latin for the western world

12. Philosophy, Science, and History
Ibn-Rushad – lived in Cordoba and wrote commentaries on most of Aristotle’s surviving works
“Arabic” system of numbers was acquired from India - includes the use of zero
Algebra can be credited to an Arab mathematician
Observatory in Baghdad used to study positions of stars
Knew the Earth was round and named several stars
Perfected the astrolabe an instrument used by sailors to determine their location using the stars and planets

13. Philosophy, Science, and History
Ibn Sina
Wrote a medical encyclopedia that’s translated into Latin
Becomes basic medical textbook for medieval Europe
Ibn-Khaldun
Historian – most famous work Muqaddimah (Introduction to History)
Argues that civilizations go through cycles (birth, growth, decay)
Looked for scientific basis for political and social factors that determine history

14. Literature Quran – greatest literary work
Most famous Middle Eastern literature Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyam and The 1001 Nights (Arabian Nights)
Arabian Nights’ author is unknown
Consists of folktales, fables, romances, with some supernatural
Early ones were passed down orally and written down later

15. Art and Architecture
Islamic art is a blend of Arab, Turkish, and Persian cultures
Muslim mosques have the best art
Great Mosque of Samarra
It is a minaret – tower where the muezzin (crier) calls Muslims to prayer 5 times a day
Mosque in Cordoba – still in immaculate condition

16. Art and Architecture Palaces are just a glorious as the mosques
Alhambra in Granada, Spain – palace is adorned with arabesques – repeated geometric patterns
No paintings of Muhammad
Not forbidden in the Quran
Warnings in Hadith against imitating of God through creating pictures of human beings
No people in early Islamic religious art