What you may see on your Hajj?
During the Middle Ages, Muslim artists from Spain to India created many forms of art. These art forms were influenced by people the Muslim world came into contact with often by trade. They would include Greeks, Romans, Persians and Indians. Muslim art encompasses many forms, metal work, calligraphy, arabesques and geometric designs. Islam developed in a Nomadic Arab culture which relied on an oral tradition because the religion believes in words rather than icons. Calligraphy is used to communicate the words of the Quran. Calligraphy became a major Muslim art form because it reflects the meanings of the Quran. While the majority of the Islamic world is a hot desert environment Arabesques illustrate patterns of plant and floral life as Muslims believe paradise to be. Geometric patterns satisfy the Islamic principle of unity, order and balance. Muslims believe in the word of the Prophet Muhammad. For this reason and as a sign of respect his face is not depicted in Muslim art. The Quran condemns the worship of idols so humans and animals are not portrayed (www.nga.gov\education\index.shym).
Islamic art and decorations are displayed in wall paintings, murals within palaces, in textiles, metalwork and most importantly in manuscript illumination.
