Islam and Christianity: Crossroads in the Visual and Literary Arts

Considering that calligraphy and mosaic are visual representations of religious belief, compare and contrast Islamic calligraphy at Alhambra and Dome of the Rock to Christian mosaics at Ravenna. What do you think each art form communicates about the religion it represents? What other aspects of Alhambra and Dome of the Rock did you find interesting? (Please visit this Week's MyArtsLab presentations on these sites before answering this question.)

Read one of the Tales of 1001 Nights (avoid those about Sinbad and Ali Baba that have made their way into our popular culture, and look for a story you haven't heard before). Briefly summarize that story here and tell us what you think the story's meaning or message is. Note that the messages may not be straightforward or easy to express.

You may find this NYTimes article on the highly complex math behind Middle Ages Islamic mosaics as fascinating as I did...and as useful for understanding the highly sophisticated knowledge that comes from this civilization:

Please make an effort to find a new story that hasn't been covered by several other classmates. At the website above, for instance, you can find later volumes by scrolling to the bottom of the sidebar on the left of the screen. There are literally 100s of stories to choose from