Islam: A Beginning |
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| There can be no Islamic
architecture without Islam. At the heart of many civilizations
there has been a faith that supplied both cultural unity and a spiritual ideal. Until
recent times, humanity has put its greatest artistic efforts into the search for a higher
spiritual level. The architecture of Islam and the Christian architecture of medieval
Europe are both examples of that search.
Islam is the religion taught by the Prophet Muhammad and based on the Koran. It emerged in the 7th century CE and spread quickly throughout the Arabian peninsula and in several directions beyond. Within 100 years, the Arab empire extended from Spain and Morocco in the west to beyond Persia in the east. Islam was the faith of its rulers. The map above shows the extent of Islam in about the year 750 CE. |
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