The Golden Age of Islam - Medieval History 7 2025: Arts

During the “Golden Age of Islam” Muslims made significant contributions to music by inventing the rababah (forerunner of the violin), the qanun, (table zither), lute that led to the Spanish guitar, and a system of musical notation.

Ideas for your project:

• Describe one of these musical instruments and how they were designed, played and sounded.
• Research the contributions of Al-Farabi or Ziryab to the field of music.
• Explain how these instruments and Arab music influenced other musical forms such as Flamenco.

Three of the most important and famous buildings that were produced during the Golden Age of Islam are the Dome of the Rock, the Mosque of Cordoba, and the Alhambra.

Ideas for your Project:

• Describe the distinctive style of each building.
• Explain the Muslim implementation of arches, domes, spires, and vaults in their construction of such beautiful buildings.
• Choose one of the famous buildings to research and go more in depth.

Artistic expression in the Islamic world took the form of the arts of the book: calligraphy, manuscript illumination, and bookbinding. Object art consisted of metalwork, ceramics, glass and textiles (especially hand-woven carpets).

Ideas for your Project:

• Research the contributions that Islam made to the arts of the book, ceramics, jewelry, or carpets.
• Find an outstanding visual example of each and describe the materials, colors, and design they used.

Mosques constitute the physical symbol of a Muslim’s faith. It is where Muslims go to worship and listen to sermons. One of the most beautiful mosques was constructed for Sultan Ahmet (also spelled Sultan Ahmed) in Istanbul by architect Sedefkar Mehmed Aga.  It is also known as The Blue Mosque because of its beautiful blue tiles.

Ideas for your Project:

• Find a picture, drawing, or illustration of the Blue Mosque. Use the image to describe the building’s architectural structure, carvings, carpets, and tiles.
• Explain how the mosque was also a place where medicine was dispensed and charity distributed. 

Gardens have played a central role in Islam as locations of scientific exploration, entertainment, relaxation, and making money. Medieval poetry, inscriptions on garden pavilions and palaces, medieval botanical manuals, and travel literature all attest to the importance of the garden in public and private architecture.

Ideas for your Project:

• Find some of the inscriptions and descriptions of gardens from this time period
• Analyze designs and use of symbolism in creation of Islamic gardens
• Explore the use of fountains in Islamic gardens.