This is the biggest palace in Istanbul. (Retrieved from http://www.greatistanbul.com/topkapi_palace.htm) Alhambra Palace - The Alhambra Palace is so named for the Arabic "red castle," due to the surrounding environment. It was created in 1238. (Retrieved from http://www.andalucia.com/cities/granada/alhamhistory.htm) Masjid-i Shah - Also known as the Mosque of the 72 Martyrs, located in Mashad, Iran. It was built in 1451. (Retrieved from http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=10332) Chehel Sutun - The Chele Sutun (Forty Columns) located in Qazvin,

The emphasis on handicrafts also means that Islamic art does not have a focus on the output of individual artists like Western art. Prophetic sayings like "God likes that when you do anything, you do it excellently," have "provided the impetus for Muslims' embellishment and beautification of their places of worship, homes, and even of articles in common use in everyday life. The emphasis in Islamic art is on

The result is that the minarets which are more probably rooted in the experiences, technologies and impulses of the now extinct Byzantines are part of the religious iconography of both ancient and modern Islamic culture. That said, the eventuality by which the Byzantine identity was erased from formal existence would have a significant bearing on the emergence of a yet more self-aware Islamic architectural philosophy. Garber indicates that we may

The artworks prevalent during the early Middle Ages in many ways stand between these two extremes. The art of this period was one that was both religiously inclined but also celebrated the human form and human nature that was to become so prominent in the Renaissance. In many ways much of early Medieval art was similar to the abstract and decorative art that we find in Islamic examples. An example

Islamic Civilization Islam, as a religion, has been adopted and is practiced by a variety of different ethnic groups and cultures around the world; and each ethnic group has had an influence on Islamic culture. As Islam spread out from its home in Arabia, the followers of Mohammed were joined by a number of different ethnic groups who adopted Islam. From Spain to Persia, India to Indonesia, Islamic Civilization is a

Islam Al Andalus, ha-Sefarad, Andalucia: "a remarkable medieval culture rooted in pluralism and shaped by religious tolerance," (Menocal, 2000, p. 2). Al-Andalus was a region of cultural convergence and confluence. There, Jew, Muslim, and Christian culture coincided with remarkable intensity and mutual respect. For hundreds of year, as many as eight hundred, Andalucian culture represented the pinnacle of peace among the all the People of Abraham. Such a time of peace