Describing the History of Early Islam - Assignment Example

Module 10 Describe the history of Early Islam. Muhammad ibn Abd Allah was born in Mecca in 570 CE, to an Arab trading clan by the of Banu Hashim. As a young man, Muhammad was set apart from other Meccans in that he did not worship the “three important idols” which were thought to be the “daughters of Allah”. The idols were located in a sanctuary in Mecca called the Kaaba (“House of God”). It was common belief at the time that the idols could communicate with the One God. Built as a place of monotheistic worship, the Kaaba was built by Abraham two thousand years prior to Mohammed’s birth. As years, passed, however, the hajj or pilgrimage to the Kaaba took more the character of a fair, and drifted from monotheism to the worship of different idols. Muhammad’s spirituality was so affected that at the age of forty, he retreated to a small cave in the mountains near Mecca in order to pray and meditate among the meaning of life (Tamara Sonn, “A Brief History of Islam”, 2004). It was during such a retreat that the angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammed. The angel declared him a messenger of God, an incident which promptly scared him home to his wife. As Gabriel began appearing more frequently to him, he lost his fear and began sharing to others the messages that the angel had given him. By 613 CE, Muhammed was commanded to spread the word of God. From then, Muhammed proclaimed the Oneness of God, and denounced the pagan deities the majority of Meccans revered (Frances O’Connor, “History of Islam”, 2009). The religion he preached he called “Islam” (meaning “submission to God”). With this, Muhammed raised the first Islamic community in Medina, teaching them the theology of peace and obedience to Allah, a legacy that has spread to other continents over the next 1,400 years. The Sound of Hagia Sophia CONSTANTINOPLE Other-wordly echoes greet the opening of the video, and against the backdrop of its mesmerizing intonations, beautiful and haunting images of the Hagia Sophia, its external structure and internal embellishments, fade in and out in a captivating montage. The wordless presentation grabs the senses and engages one’s interest to discover more. The church’s history is as intriguing as the edifice’s religious icons, its amazing spirals and impressive domes. Hagia Sophia, otherwise known as the “Great Church” or “Magna Ecclesia”, was built at the site of a former pagan temple. It was inaugurated on the 15th of February, 360 CE, by Constantius II, upon the orders of Constantine the Great. This first church, however, was burned down in the year 404 during a riot, and the second church was rebuilt the year after by Theodosius II. This, too, was destroyed by riots, after which Justinian the Great commissioned the building of the third church (Peter N. Bell, “Three Political Voices from the Age of Justinian”, 2009). The third church underwent severe damage during earthquakes in 553 and 557, and was subsequently rebuilt by Isidore the Younger and opened in 562 as the seat of the Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople. Centuries after, this bastion of Byzantine Orthodoxy was converted into a mosque when Mehmet II conquered Constantinople in 1453. The following years saw new additions and restorations done to the structure. Finally, in 1934, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic, declared that the building would be transformed into a museum. When it was opened in 1935. the restoration has uncovered for the first time in centuries the mosaics that were hidden under plaster, and marble décor on the floor covered by carpets (Robert S. Nelson, “Hagia Sophia, 1850-1950: Holy Wisdom Modern Monument”, 2004). The colourful history of this historic monument is a significant testament to the most tumultuous centuries of the human saga. Post 1 by Mary Mary provides a straightforward account of the early life of the prophet Muhammad, and the manner by which he was inspired to establish the Islamic faith. The post was largely an accounting of human history, as the topic quite apparently requires. A recounting of Muhammad’s early life and his visions of the visitation from the angel Gabriel are critical for an understanding of the cornerstone principles of Islam (Steven Kreis, “Islamic Civilization”, 2000). The Muslim faith has been much maligned in the 21st century, particularly due to the 9/11 tragedy. It has been portrayed as fanatical, aggressive, and blood-thirsty, with “jihad” as its excuse for mass murder. Mary’s post perceptively provides a different picture. “Jihad” is actually translated into “striving in the way of the Lord”, actually an instrument for spreading Islam in a peaceful way, as there was no intention to convert the people to Islam unless such conversion be voluntary. Mary’s post about the history of Islam is factual, informative, and clear. It is a good, concise rendition of the early development of the Muslim faith. Post 2 by William T. William’s pose was most insightful, providing more than just the hard facts of his cyber journey but moreso his reactions and impressions about it. The topic was the engineering of the Byzantine empire, including the walled city of Constantinople, the Hagia Sophia, and the great aqueduct and warfare fortifications of the city. Quite appropriately, the magnificent domes and spires of the one-time church-turned-mosque-turned-museum were the most impressive. William perceptively notes that the Roman legacy, long after its fall, comes to the present generation through marvellous edifices and structures such as these. Despite William’s disapproval of the host, the cyber journey is still regarded as a memorable experience. Essay on the Social Significance of Black-Figure Vase Decor in the life of Ancient Greece A people’s soul is expressed best in its art, music and dances. Art has many contemporary forms, the most popular of which are paintings and sculptures. In ancient Greece, however, there is a form of artwork that has not only become immensely popular during the years 700-500 B.C., and has lasted to this day. The Grecian vase (also known by the terms pottery and urn) was regarded as a thing of exquisite beauty, as today it still is. More than that, however, it has provided generations of people a glimpse of the civilization that gave birth to the truths and principles humanity still lives by. The different styles of pottery work were well regarded, but of these, the Black-figure vase décor played a most important role in the social life of Ancient Greece. Greek pottery has been highly regarded in Greece and elsewhere during the ancient times. Literally thousands of Greek vases were found in tombs, buried with the prominent deceased, in the graveyards not only of Greece, but in central and northern Etruria in Italy. While there are many instances where ancient Greek pottery was found among the Etruscans, there are however very few Etruscan-manufactured goods that could be found in Greece, leading archaeologists to speculate that ancient Greeks traded pottery in exchange for non-manufactured items such as iron, lead and bronze (Melanie Ann Apel, “Economy and Industry in Ancient Greece”, 2004). The black-figure décor vases were prized so highly that by 550 CE, this form of pottery, “featuring a variety of new and larger vessels, had driven Corinthian vases from the export market” (Sarah B. Pomeroy, “Ancient Greece: A Political, Social and Cultural History, 1999). Black-figure vase décor was highly prized in ancient Greece because of its several attributes. On of these is what was regarded as its “otherworldly” quality (Nigel Guy Wilson, “Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece”, 2006). This was also because it involved a process quite complicated to execute successfully. Generally, clay was formed on a potter’s wheel that was turned by the potter’s feet. The clay pots were then dried in kilns, a special kind of oven especially designed for the purpose of baking clay. To achieve the different distinctive colors found in Greek pottery, oxygen flow to the pot was controlled. If air around the pot is high in oxygen, the color red was produced, which was the intention in the subsequent red-figure vase décor. If the fresh air was reduced, the colors gray and black that are desirable in black-figure pottery was achieved. The recurrent themes of black-figure decor portrayed the daily lives of Greek citizens and thus is a valuable historical record of early Greek civilization (Leslie Adkins and Roy A. Adkins, Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece, 1998). Black figure pottery usually resorted to depicting figures of people, gods that also had human form, and mythical beings as their themes. The artist would carefully incise or carve the intended design into the surface, and the end result was “a contrast of colors where black figures stood out against the reddish-orange color of the vase (Jean Henrich, “Ancient Greece”, 2006). The scenes depicted were faithful to the original real-life events, that the vases have been regarded as an important source of information for research in the mythology and iconography prevalent at the time. Because of the notable quality and workmanship associated with it, black-figure painting on vases provided occasion for the rise of identifiable artists for the first time. The vases differed in both construction and adornment, and value was attributed to both style and workmanship. In Athens, best known source of the highest quality Attic vases, some 500 people worked in a pottery district known as Keramaikos (Ting Morris, “Ancient Greece”, 2006). From among them the better known artists were usually those who were able to command a higher price. In the broader view, Greek pottery, particularly black décor art, will continue to play a crucial role in uravelling the secrets of the ancient Western civilization. The soul of ancient Greece continues to thrive through the centuries, and it is only upon gaining a profound appreciation of it that the present generation could come to heal the imperfections of its own soul. WORDCOUNT = 700 excluding title Read More