Religion Home Page | Islam Home Page | Artifacts | Timeline | Venn Diagram    

 Islam Artifacts

Calligraphy

Calligraphy is of prime importance in the culture of Islam. It is sacred and represents worship of Allah and expression of will. Some scripts are for specific uses, such as the kufic script is used only for copying the Qur'an.

 

the Ka'bah

The Ka'bah is a building said to be built by the prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael as a replica of Allah's house in Heaven. The Ka'bah is located in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, the holy city of Islam, where the prophet Muhammad was born. Ka'bah in Arabic means, "High place with respect and prestige."

 

prayer rug

A prayer rug is a small rug used to cover bare ground when praying, five times a day. It is identified by the arch-shaped design at one end. This must point toward Makkah during prayer.

 

Muslim/Islamic Calendar

The Muslim calendar consists of 12 months that begin close to the new moon. The months alternate the amount of days in the months. The twelfth month is unique in that it for 19 years it has 29 days and for 11 years it has 30 days.

 

Crescent Symbol

The crescent moon is an important political, religious, and military symbol. It appears on national flags of countries with predominantly Muslim population, such as Algeria, the Comoros, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, Singapore, Tunisia, and Turkey. It is also used as the symbol for the Red Crescent, the Arab equivalent of the Red Cross.

 

 

Islamic Baths

Islamic Baths are a combination of eastern bath traditions and roman bathing that consists of a series of rooms with different temperatures and some with steam. Some baths are decorated with fountains, pools, and tile mosaics.

 

Jewelry

Most jewelry worn by Muslims is very connected to the regions where they live. Much of the jewelry associated with Islamic culture has roots in the most predominantly Muslim countries, such as Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan. For instance, a lot of the jewelry worn in the Ottoman period was inspired by Iranian designs.

 

the Qur'an

The Qur'an is the holy book of Islam. It is written in Arabic. It is regarded by Muslims as a definite authority and the "word of God."

 

Qutb-ud-Din Aybak

Qutb-ud-Din Aybak was a founder of Islam in India. He was a general. He died in 1210 c.e. of injuries received in a polo match.

 

Wood Carvings

Wood carvings were most popular in Islam in the middle ages. Most Islamic wood carvings are found in architecture in homes, kiosks, and stands that hold the Qur'an.

 

Bibliography

"Crescent." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1987.

"Islamic Arts." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1987.

Islamic Art and Architecture. Online. http://www.factmonstercom. October 10, 2002.

"Islamic Baths." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1987.

"Islamic Dress and Adornment." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1987.

The Ka'bah: It's Size and History. Online. http://cyberistan.org/islamic. October 12, 2002.

"Mecca." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1987 .

"Muslim Calendar." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1987 .

"Prayer Rug." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1987.

"Qur'an." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1987.

"Qutb-ud-Din Aybak." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1987.

 "Symbols." tq.hkr.se/~religioner/ islam.htm

 "Islamicbaths." www.danchan.com/feature/2000/europe/ budapest/budapest3.htm. 

"Calendar." www.jamiat.org.za/ islamcal.html

"Calligraphy." www.sas.ac.uk/warburg/mnemosyne/ Orientation/Islam.htm

"Arabic." www.iwanami.co.jp/hensyu/ jiten/jiten.html 

"Prayer Rug." www.catholicreform.org/ main.html

"Quran." www.uua.org/uume/0302/ religion.html

"Jewelry." www.johnbmcnamara.com/ cp108.htm

"Culture." travel.guardian.co.uk

 

Written by Stella, West Sylvan Middle School, Portland, Oregon.

 

"Factmonster" is a good site for brief summaries of important things in Islam.

 

"cyberistan.org" has a good over view of Islam specifics.

 

The "Al-Islam" site is a very informative site for researching Islam.

Venn Diagram