Medieval Cultural Exchange Contrasting Medieval Religious Expression:

Medieval Cultural Exchange

Contrasting Medieval Religious Expression:

An analysis across Christian and Islamic Civilization

In Chapters 7, 8 and 9 of John McKay's A History of World Societies, the similarities and differences of medieval Christian and Islamic civilization across Europe, the Middle East and Africa are detailed as the rise and fall of political and religious actors are presented. One fascinating subject that stands out from such a tremendous amount of material and which returns the student of history to the human scale is how the two civilizations influenced each other in developing new perspectives on religious expression through art, ranging from architecture to calligraphy to even everyday objects such as religious clothing. An understanding of how these two civilizations influenced one another contributes to a more complete understanding of the broader issues of politics, religion and geopolitical competition that defined this historical epoch.

One of the most prominent areas of religious cross-influence across medieval Christian and Islamic civilization was architecture. Before the rise of Islam, the Byzantine Empire had experienced a building heyday in the reign of the Emperor Justinian in the Sixth Century. During this period the great church of Hagia Sophia, that most well-known of all Byzantine monuments (and one which was to inspire generations of Islamic architects), was built in Constantinople. Drawing from this the cultural influence, the development of the typical structure and furnishings of the Muslim mosque had Byzantine precedents. To cite examples, the mihrab, or prayer niche, had a forerunner in the use of niches in Byzantine secular architecture. The minbar, or Muslim pulpit, probably derived from the Byzantine lectern; while the maqsura (an enclosure for the ruler and his entourage) is likely to have been modeled on the Byzantine royal box. Byzantine experiments with domes were continued by Muslim architects. This influence in Islamic architecture would persist for centuries with architects of the Turkish Ottomans using features from Byzantine church architecture into the sixteenth century (Mango, 1972; Hoare, 2005).

Another interesting aspect of religious cross-currents during the medieval period can be seen in art. The Byzantine Empire continued the classical Roman tradition in a Christian framework. Mosaics, manuscript illuminations and icons were prevalent in this time period. Artwork was geared towards churches and was used as visual representation during worship. In contrast, Islamic art was dictated by the religious belief system. Figures were not represented because this was believed to a betrayal to the Muslims' true God, who could not be accurately represented. Islamic artists saw art as a source of serene harmony, intellectual exploration and refined decoration. The artwork never contained a subject matter but rather consisted of design patterns as seen in calligraphy and arabesques. In short, Islamic art can be seen as a means to differentiate itself from the Byzantine Empire's and vice versa (Hoare, 2005; McKay 2008).