The Jewelry of the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Civilization

The Byzantine Empire’s jewelry was very gem like and was very gold because they had gold mines and the gold jewelry was easier to trade with in the East and the West where the gold was not as available. Also, many of the Byzantine jewelry had many jewels or pearls on them to symbolize wealth or a higher class. Just like the Byzantine Empire, the jewelry in the Islamic Empire was more of gold and pearls, but usually the smaller jewelry, rings, earrings, etc, had more symmetry and most of them had engravings or n them to symbolize. The Islamic Empire was known for their symbolism, they had many designs on their jewelry and they used their jewelry to express their passion for their symbolic icons.


 

This Byzantine jewelry set is made of mostly gold with a few pearls.  

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/79-104/Readings/Gallery/Gallery1/LA4.jpg

The Islamic Civilization jewelry was gold and gem like as well 

http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/453312?rpp=20&pg=1&ao=on&ft=islamic+jewelry&pos=2 




Paraphrase 1 

The Byzantine Empire was more known for gold, pearls, and the most valuable jewels in the Byzantine Empire, Sapphires. They would put lots of gold on the warriors outfits to show he has wealth and has more power than anyone. Many of the women and children would wear gold and lots of jewelry, also to show wealth, and to show women had power unlike other women in other countries who had little to none power according to the Andrew Gallery 

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/79-104/Readings/Gallery/2.html#Introduction




Paraphrase 2 

The Islamic Civilization jewelry had many similarities as the Byzantine Empire Jewelry. The Islamic Jewelry was very pearly and gem like with a gold covering surrounding. Just like the Byzantine Empire, the jewelry in the Islamic Empire was more of gold and pearls, but usually the smaller jewelry, rings, earrings, etc, had more symmetry and most of them had engravings on them to symbolize.  The Islamic Empire was known for their symbolism, they had many designs on their jewelry and they used their jewelry to express their passion for their symbolic icons according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art 

http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/456926?rpp=20&pg=1&ao=on&ft=islamic+jewelry&pos=16

Citations:
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/79-104/Readings/Gallery/Gallery1/LA4.jpg  

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections?ft=islamic+jewelry  

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/79-104/Readings/Gallery/Gallery1/LA4.jpg  

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections?ft=islamic+jewelry

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/79-104/Readings/Gallery/Gallery1/LA4.jpg  

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections?ft=islamic+jewelry

Islamic and Byzantine Architecture

Mary Scott Head

12/16/13

G Block

Architecture 

Architecture played a very important role in both the Islamic and Byzantine Empires. Architecture was more than just constructing a building that would withstand weather and, was a comfortable living, and worshipping area. Architecture was considered art and was taken very seriously. Many long hours were spent building with bare hands and very, very, minimal technology. Although both empires put great thought and appreciation into architecture, there were many differences in the styles and meaning behind each building. 

     lslamic architecture was taken into deep thought and was extremely important in religious sites. Although the buildings of Islam were extremely detailed and beautiful, they were usually not very colorful. White, tan, gold, brown, and black were mostly used due to the shortage or color choice. Characteristics of Islamic architecture can be seen in the Great Mosque of Kairouan, located in Kairouan,Tunisia. It has been built and rebuilt twice. The first mosque was built by a man named Sidi Oqba in 670. His name is also a name of the mosque. The mosque was rebuilt in 863 by Emir Abou Ibrahim Ahmad, which still remains standing. On the outside, it may just look like a large oddly shaped building. Once you step inside, it is anything but ordinary. The mosque is equipped with a large marble floored courtyard which is sloped to force water flow to the center where it drains. Surrounding the courtyard are roughly 400 pillars that were used in Latin Christian, and Roman Byzantine buildings. Traces of these former uses can be seen throughout the courtyard. Wood carvings were also not a rare thing to see. Seats were carved priests out of a wood by the name of “indian teak”. It was used because of its durability and smooth finish. Also, the mosque was home too tombs of local saints.  To enter the mosque, it was a must to be properly dressed. If the guards thought you not to be, robes were available to those poorly dressed. The mosque only allowed Muslims inside. Non-muslims were only allowed to have a peak inside. Islamic architecture may be extremely fascinating and meaningful, but Byzantine architecture is just as much, if not more beautiful.  

Great Mosque Picture

Byzantine architecture is well known for its beauty and religious meaning. One of the most well known, and best representations of Byzantine architecture is the Hagia Sophia located in Istanbul. Also known as the Church of Holy Wisdom. The Hagia Sophia was built in a short 5 years as a church. You wouldn't be able to tell by looking at it. Its inside is covered with beautiful, hand crafted mosaics that each told a different story. Marble pillars line the halls throughout the building. The base of the building is an octagon shape with a large atrium and many additional smaller rooms. A beautiful large dome sits at the top of the building with pendentives supporting it. Light enters the dome and creates a beautiful effect inside. Domes were also very popular in Islamic architecture. 

After Hagia Sophia was a church, it was transformed into a mosque from 1453-1935. Today, it remains as a museum. All worshiping activity is no longer aloud. Overall, Hagia Sophia is a beautiful masterpiece by the Byzantines. Today it is still considered the most beautiful building they built. 

Hagia Sophia Picture

Importance of architecture  

    a. Religious importances

b. Different styles

2) Islamic architecture 

1. a. religious uses

b. Traits of Islamic architecture

2. Great Mosque of Kairouan

a.History of the mosque

b. Mosque features

3) Byzantine architecture 

1. a. traits of Byzantine architecture

2. Hagia Sophia

a. Building of the church

b. Mosaics 

c. Mosque interior features 

d. Hagia Sophia today

4)  Islamic and Byzantine architecture are both significant.

a. Restatement of Islamic traits

b. Restatement of Byzantine traits

c. Similarities

d. differences 

Bibliography

"Hagia Sophia." Dome -. Hagia Sophia, n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. <http://www.hagiasophia.com/listingview.php?listingID=21>.

2. Hagia Sophia." Hagia Sophia. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. <http://www.dl.ket.org/humanities/connections/class/religions/hagia.ht

3. “Byzantine Architecture” Anthony, Rashan, William, . N.p.. Web. 13 Dec 2013. <http://library.thinkquest.org/C005594/Medieval/byzantine.htm>.

4. “The Byzantine Empire” Roger B. Beck, . <http://my.hrw.com/tabnav/controller.jsp?isbn=9780547521084>.

5. Ben Mama, Mohamed Beji. "Great Mosque of Kairouan." Www.DiscoverIslamicart.org. MWNF, 2004. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. <http://www.discoverislamicart.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;tn;Mon01;2;en>.

6. "Islamic Architecture | Real Virtual | Columbia University in the City of New York." Islamic Architecture | Real Virtual | Columbia University in the City of New York. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. <http://www.learn.columbia.edu/ha/html/islamic.html>.

7. Hays, Holly. "Sacred Destinations." Great Mosque of Kairouan. N.p., 4 Nov. 2010. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. <http://www.sacred-destinations.com/tunisia/kairouan-great-mosque>.

8.Rautman, Marcus Louis. "Architecture." Daily Life in the Byzantine Empire. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2006. 270-76. Print.

Picture links: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/tunisia/kairouan-great-mosque/photos/view-from-above-cc-bigdani-p

http://www.teslasociety.com/pictures/Roman%20Empire%20Images/RomanEmpire3.jpg

Liz's Work Cited:

http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/AlexandertheGreat.html

http://www.biography.com/people/alexander-the-great-9180468

http://www.history.com/topics/alexander-the-great

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/alexander_the_great.shtml

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=524NsuNR-l0

Abby's Blog Post

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Abby Schmidt


1&2. Alexander the Great might not be considered so great by today's standards, but he certainly met the criteria for greatness during his era. As a twenty year old, he accomplished way more than what most rulers twice his age could have done. For example, he became the king of Macedonia in 336 B.C. Alexander subdued Persia, Egypt, and part of India by the age of thirty-two. As a soldier in Alexander's army, I can personally attest to the strength of the entire military that fell under his command. It was our strength that played a big part in how Alexander came to be known as great. Alexander was able to overturn many cities with  the help of our strategic army, and we never lost a battle. Although this left cities with thousands of fatalities, many people still looked up to him as a god on earth. All of his men looked up to him in the same way that many citizens of the newborn Hellenistic culture did. They saw him as a great man who conquered and blended together Persian, Egyptian, and Indian influences. Koine, the dialect that arose from the blending of these cultures, was widely spoken by Alexander's new Hellenistic settlers and was spoken by most all of his soldiers, including me. With Koine being the common language, it improved our trade and communication across the East and the versatility throughout the Hellenistic world.

3. Like Alexander the Great, Ulysses S. Grant may not be considered great in modern times, but he was the "Alexander the Great" of his age. Grant and Alexander were both two strategic and determined military generals. Grant even continued on to become President of the United States in 1868. Although many people today disregard these two men and their greatness, they both conquered vast amounts of established land that sculpted continents and cultures of the world into what they are today. While Grant was General-in-Chief, he cut the Confederacy in half after fighting a battle at Vicksburg, took control of the Mississippi Valley, and won countless other battles that molded the backbone of America after the Civil War. Like Grant, Alexander conquered many countries in the East and was able to mold a new culture out of the many that he conquered during his time. Both of these men are great because of their contributions to the military and their strategic attitudes, even if they may not be considered great according to today's standards.





Works Cited:

Beck, B. Rodger

<http://my.hrw.com/tabnav/controller.jsp?isbn=9780547521084>.

Watkins, Thayer. N.p.. Web. 25 Sep 2013.
 <http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/alexandergreat.htm>.

Cohane, Krista, Gustafson, Stefanie, and Lazaridis, Zinovia ed. N.p.. Web. 25 Sep 2013. <http://faculty.fairfield.edu/rosivach/cl115/people/alexander.htm>.


Freidel, Frank, and Hugh Sidey. "Ulysses S. Grant | The Presidents of the United States of America." The White House. White House Historical Association, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/ulyssessgrant>

Alexander the Great- Jackson Nowlin

1/2) Fighting alongside a great leader like Alexander the Great was a life changing experience. One of the one things that made Alexander so great is that he treated his soldiers like he treated himself. In his mind he believed that we were all equal and that he shouldn't get more/better food than us or be treated any better than us. Alexander was always in the front of our army leading us to victory. He never stayed back just to give commands and orders, he was always doing the dirty work in the battlefield. Unlike most leaders, Alexander knew his soldiers. He knew everyones name and would come talk to us every night before a major battle. At first I thought it could be a huge mistake choosing to join forces with Alexander because some of his stupid decisions but then as time progressed and we didn't lose a single battle I learned to trust him. Fighting for/with this great man makes me realize that I am lucky to have a guy like him as my leader. Since we have conquered all of this land, we have had new religions and new languages that have completely changed our culture. They have taken Greek, Egyptian, and Persian beliefs and formed them in to a new Hellenistic culture. Also, we have learned a lot more languages in out new culture. This allows us to have better communication with other countries or cultures so we can better understand each other. Also, this allows us to improve more on our education. From what I've heard, we have significantly improved in areas like Math, Science, and Physics.

3) Alexander and George Washington were both great people. Like Alexander, George Washington is considered to be one of the greatest leaders of all time. George Washington (as a huge underdog) led his small army to defeat the most powerful army at the time, Great Britain. Like Washington, Alexander was outnumbered in a lot of his battles. But with his great strategic and leadership skills, Alexander was able to defeat everyone he came up against. These men were both very strategic and great leaders. They were brilliant and fearless when it came to war. These men are considered to be "Great".

 "Alexander the Great." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19

Sept. 2013. <https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/106078>.

Furdock, Corey. "The Empire of Alexander the Great." . N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sep 2013. <http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/a/s/asg198/Final Project/alexempire.html>.

Alexander The Great by Mallika Yedla

1.          As a soldier in Alexander's army, I believe him to be a fantastic military leader and conqueror, however, he is also a horrid excuse for a human being. He is widely known as a great military leader because he has been able to conquer an astoundingly large number of lands and groups of people in since he has become our leader. I have heard from many reliable sources in the army that he commits innumerable atrocities against both his enemies and his own people. For example, in a Greek city called Bactria, there lived some people whose ancestors were Greek priests that had worked with the King of Persia one hundred fifty years ago. The living descendants of the priests were some of Alexander’s most loyal people, and they greeted him with much happiness when he visited Bactria with us. That is, of course, until Alexander had each one of them murdered in cold blood by us, his army, for their ancestors’ collaboration with our enemy, Persia. Alexander is bipolar, vicious, even with his close friends, and abusive of alcohol. I have been in his army for several years know, and I know this to be true, for I have seen it myself on several occasions. One time, I was told a story about a person named Black Cleitus. Cleitus had fought alongside Philip, Alexander’s father, and after Philip died, he fought alongside Alexander. Black Cleitus even saved Alexander’s life once. Because they were so close, Alexander promoted Cleitus into a more powerful position, governor of Bactria. At the celebratory dinner of Cleitus’ new appointment, Alexander became highly intoxicated, and started saying nasty things about Philip, his father. Cleitus became upset and told Alexander that the only reason he had his glory was because of his father, Philip. This made Alexander murderously angry, and the next time Cleitus made a comment, Alexander fatally wounded him with a javelin. Alexander has alarmingly little control over his temper, mainly because of his alcoholism. One time, while he was intoxicated, he made the decision to make us raze an entire city, Persepolis, to the ground. I do not believe that it is wise for him to be making these huge decisions while drunk, but I am just a lowly soldier, so my thoughts do not make a difference.
2.            Speaking from the perspective of a soldier, the blending of all the cultures that are now under Alexander's rule helped the empire greatly. After we conquered Persia, Egypt, India, and Greece, we blended all of their cultures together and created one culture, called Hellenistic culture. Hellenistic culture is mainly influenced by Greek culture, and everyone has to speak a dialect of  Greek called Koine, but major aspects of the other cultures are blended in and have positive effects. Alexandria, Egypt is the main Hellenistic city, and it is a busy, successful center of trade and commerce that is greatly improving the economy. Alexandria's population is extremely diverse, and rich traditions and culture have developed there. Philosophy, science, and the arts have been flourishing since the inception of our Hellenistic culture. The philosophical teachings of Plato and Aristotle continue to influence our culture, but new schools of thought are being developed. The new schools of thought that philosophers are introducing are there to help teach people how to live their lives and tell us what values to have. Egypt and Greece are the main influences in the sciences, and there has been a lot of growth lately! We are using a book written by Euclid, called Elements, to learn about geometry, and Archimedes is making new physics discoveries everyday. Our Greek astronomers are learning more about the planets, sun, and earth all the time, but they have trouble with accepting new ideas, in my opinion. In the arts, a new style of sculpture is developing. Sculptors have nearly stopped trying to make humans look perfect, and are starting to make them look more natural and realistically flawed. Alexander, our leader, has married a Persian and started to wear Persian clothes. He encourages us soldiers to marry people from other cultures and make the population more diverse. Basically, I believe that  the Hellenistic ways have helped us grow and develop our ideas and culture.
3.            Alexander is comparable to Adolf Hitler. Both men are considered by many to be both great and terrible. Alexander is considered great because he conquered an extremely large number of lands and people, and he led his army well. Hitler is considered great because, after World War I, when Germany was destroyed and in debt and had to rebuild itself, Hitler took charge and brought about great, positive change for the nation of Germany. Because of his work, he won many honors, and was even named the Time Magazine Man of the Year. However, after a while, he started to impose his personal beliefs on the world. He believed in a pure race of humans, where no people of the Jewish faith existed. He got together a large group of followers, called the Nazis, and began slaughtering innocent Jewish  men, women, and children by the millions. He was a powerful leader and an extremely influential figure in society. Eventually, he caused one of the most terrible and bloody wars in history, World War II, and over sixty million people died. Time changed most people's opinions of Hitler. Where before he was thought of as a glorious leader who was working hard to rebuild Germany, he was eventually thought of as an insane, cruel killer. Alexander did not hesitate to kill in order to achieve his goals and neither did Hitler. Both men were terrific as leaders and strategists, and were able to accomplish many amazing things during their lifetimes, but they were terrifying, vicious people that were eventually hated. 

Adolf Hitler

Alexander Fighting while Riding a Horse

Works Cited

"Alexander's Empire." Holt McDougal Online. Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. <http://my.hrw.com/tabnav/controller.jsp?isbn=9780547521084>.

 Ancient-Greece.org. Ancient-Greece.org, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. <http://www.ancient-greece.org/history/helleninstic.html>.

Gabriel, Richard. "Alexander the Monster: Historians Say the Battlefield Atrocities of the Macedonian King Were Part of His Brilliant Military Strategy. But Were They Really Born of His Personality?" 2013. MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History. N.p.: n.p., 2013. pg.38. Gale Power Search. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.

 San José State University Department of Economics. San José State University Department of Economics, n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/alexandergreat.htm>.

"The Spread of Hellenistic Culture." Holt McDougal Online. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. <http://my.hrw.com/tabnav/controller.jsp?isbn=9780547521084>.

Walbank, Frank W. "Alexander the Great." Britannica High School. N. pag. Print.