ipl-logo

Islamic Influence On Christian Europe

2011 Words9 Pages

Effect of Islamic economic superiority of medieval world on the Christian Europe: The case of Venice and Egypt
Name:
Institution:

Effect of Islamic economic superiority of medieval world on the Christian Europe: The case of Venice and Egypt
Introduction
Though the Christians and the Muslims were highly opposed to each other in religious principles, the long distance trade established by the Muslims with the Christians resulted in increased economic activity in Europe. Particularly, in the Middle Ages, the Italian ports were not commercial and were largely dormant owing to the fallout of the Roman Empire. Commercial activity in the whole Europe was minimal and it remained an agricultural economy. Since there was a lack of means and technologies for carrying out long-distance trade, maritime trade was restricted to a regional level. The business potential of the Islamic world brought a sea change in the economic scenario of Europe. The establishment of long-distance trade with the Muslim world was a great opportunity for the Italian cities to acquire exotic materials and increase profit. The adventure seeking nature and entrepreneurial ability of the Muslims of the Medieval era led to enhanced commercial activities in the region. The trade in the Christian areas began to thrive owing to their active engagement with the Muslim trading world. Researchers argue that it was the Muslim world’s influence that led to the advancement of many cities in Christian Europe. One example is the Muslim rule in the al-Andalus region that triggered great economic activity which subsequently led to the construction of many cities that served as important outposts of trade (Rosamond, 2002). The Italian cities of Venice and Genoa were some of the pioneers that were the first to establish trading relationships with the Muslim world. This essay describes the economic impact of the Islamic world on Christian Europe with special reference to the city of Venice and its …show more content…

The paintings in Venice also reflected Islamic influence. The travelling artists brought sketches of the architecture, drawings and people of the Muslim world to Venice which impacted an entire generation of artists in Venice. The Ca’ Dario palace and the Ca’ d’Oro palace best exemplify the influence of Islamic architecture on Venice. The Ca’d’Oro considered as one of the masterpieces of architecture has many elements of Islamism borrowed from the east. The arches that are inflected provide an Islamic touch to the palazzo. Further, the frames of the windows made of stone and marbles have been considered to be inspired from Islamic structures. The liberal presence of the Muslim architecture is dispersed throughout Venice. The St. Mark’s Basilica with its gilt mosaics, cupolas and arches demonstrates the Muslim influence on Venetian architecture. The bell tower of San Pietro Castello’s Basilica also bears resemblances to the Pharos lighthouse in Alexandria. The San Marco is another monument in Venice, rich in embellishments and themes that signify Islam and point towards an origin from Alexandria. There are also other settings like the grills of windows, domes, arches, mosaics and so on that is supposed to be inspired from Islamic structures in the east. Venice also had similarities to the east in its urban structure. The primary markets of Venice and shopping streets have several features in common with the markets present in the Middle Eastern nations of the middle ages (Howard,

Show More
Related
399 Words | 2 Pages

After Muslim conquests, the growth of cities flourished under Islam rule. Muslim rulers gained control of the pre-existing cities and founded new ones from Asia to Europe. Cities and urban areas in Muslim society were important because of the role it plays in religion, trade, and culture. Trade was a very significant part of Muslim society. The trade network is expansive and the routes extend across Europe, North Africa and Asia (Document 6).

Read More
1328 Words | 6 Pages

One of the more important factors was understanding the economic power of china. China supplied for and consumed products of this trading network. They also provided technological innovations. Another factor was that there was a sudden rise of Islam and its spread across the Afro-Eurasia world. This creation of the Arab Empire brought together a political system in range of economies and cultural traditions thus providing a vast area for trade.

Read More
1149 Words | 5 Pages

Between the years 1000 and 1450, trade networks, were rapidly being established throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe and becoming increasingly successful. The main idea of adjusting to culture by the Europeans differed heavily from the Muslims idea of spreading and influencing culture, which resulted in the Europeans suffering some cultural consequences. The documents imply that the Muslims culture was able to spread further while having a greater impression on travelers than the Europeans culture, which was focused on the exploration of other cultures and religious conversion. The Muslim culture was able to spread its culture, while trying to succeed in new surroundings, which allowed it to be spread further than the Europeans culture was

Read More
1053 Words | 5 Pages

In this research paper I am going to talk about three issues,which are Dar al-Islam,West Africa and Europe. I am going to explain what happened during the 15th and 16th century with the three of them and how they interacted with each other. The interaction of dar al-Islam and Europe led to many important occasions including the discovery of the Americas,its colonization and the beginning of the slave trade. I will discuss the exchange, clashes, and what happened between these two "universes" that in the end affected West Africa and the whole world. Dar al-Islam is a term that refers to “the home of islam”.

Read More
1311 Words | 6 Pages

The Ottoman and Mughal empires both used Islam in their culture, economy, wars, and society. It influenced their art, the way they treated non-Muslims, their motivations for war. It is important to note that both empires were influenced differently by their majority religion. However, both the Ottomans and Mughals were heavily influenced as Islam was a major part of everyday life from the art to the bureaucracy.

Read More
890 Words | 4 Pages

In Document 6, Letters to and from Italian merchants in the fourteen-century depicts, In the letters there were full of request and acceptance of trade contract. In this time, Italy was a Christian country right next to the papal state. As stated in letter C, from the fact that the letter was from England and that sea trade was going on in the name of god and profit, you would have us buy Cotswold wool, In letter B, we could also know that merchant families are very proud of themselves of being merchants. While during the same time in Islam merchant’s status in society was declining, as show from a quote Iban Khaldun, a Muslim scholar from Document five, thought trading lead to “decrease and weakening in virtue and manliness.” In Document 7, an Islamic court decision, Ankara, seventeenth century but representative of Turkish guild practices in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries conveys how the Muslims began to limit the action of merchants put putting moral values on them and criticizing them for nit distributing equality among

Read More
900 Words | 4 Pages

Mecca was a trade center for the Arabian Peninsula because Mecca always had people passing by the traducement above. Since they traveled so much it might have been easy to expand routes. They had so many trade routes. Because they had so many trade routes, more and more people came to trade and buy products that they needed. The people that came to trade goods and buy products might have liked the religion and the way people from Islam practiced it.

Read More
477 Words | 2 Pages

The Middle East is a place that was the birthplace for many cultures and religions such as Christianity and Islam. As they expanded from this region, both of these religions had good impact on history. However, Christianity and Islam have their similarities in religious beliefs and their differences in expansion between the two religions. Within the time period c. 600 CE to 1250 CE and 1st century to 1000 CE Islam and Christianity began to spread around the world. The two religions spread socially and economically similar but politically different.

Read More
152 Words | 1 Pages

In addition, the holy city, Mecca was the main site for trade. According to the map, followed by Document C, ”Mecca, the holy city, had military campaigns and was in the middle of Arabia, near the coastlines.” Ultimately, Arabs transported goods to market places. Document A state 's,”Vast camel trains, bearing species, perfume, precious metals, ivory and silk, filed through the town, headed north on the way from Yemen … to the

Read More
1139 Words | 5 Pages

The two religions relied heavily on trade routes to grow and expand. Christianity spread almost accidentally by word of mouth through the silk road, the largest trade route in Eurasia at the time. Traders and other travelers spread the word of Christianity through the silk road and all of Europe, subsequently. Meanwhile Islam spread through the Indian Ocean trade route, a trade route created thanks to the development of larger ships, which allowed for much faster trade and spread of ideas, such as Islam, on the sea’s rather than across land. If these trade routes had never been allowed to develop or flourish, it can only be assumed that both Islam and Christianity would have remained very isolated and that their spread would have remained very limited.

Read More
1144 Words | 5 Pages

In the early 1500s, the Muslim merchants were known as some of the greatest traders in the world. They would sail to all parts of the world to distribute goods and compile a variety of different cultural customs. They also traveled to collect more desirable goods to sell to wealthy buyers for large profits (Doc. 2). Their very admirable reputation let them sell their products to wealthy people to then live rich lives and control all of the trade going on in and around Calicut. Long after the Portuguese acquired power, they were brought very poor quality product.

Read More
720 Words | 3 Pages

East and West Africa from 1000 to 1500 CE had profound differences in forms of government, with West Africa being kingdom based, and East Africa city-state based. The conversion of Eastern and Western African ruling elites compacted trading between themselves and Islamic traders from Mesopotamia, China, India, and as far away as Oceania. The relatively stable political environment from 1000-1500 CE in Sub-Saharan Africa attracted displaced peoples from the Abbasid empire in Northern Africa, with West Africa utilizing Trans-Saharan trade, and East Africa utilizing mariner trade routes. The East and West developed in clearly different ways, but paralleled each other in a way in which the political, social, and economic environments facilitated stable trade in the region, as well as a distinct blend between Islamic culture and African tradition.

Read More
1033 Words | 5 Pages

In what ways did the Portuguese change those economic networks? What did they not change? In the Islamic World currency was very important in the pervasiveness of trade. As long as tribute was paid, the rulers were allowed to do whatever they wanted.

Read More
567 Words | 3 Pages

First they had crossroads of profitable trade. They would trade perfumes, precious metals, incense, and silk filed through their town, headed North to coastal town. When they would trade overseas to the Arabian Peninsula, they traded spices, textiles, and spices from Asia. Mecca was rich due to travel connects to Europe, Asia and Africa. Trade became such a big thing in Islam, it was known as...

Read More
1005 Words | 5 Pages

Geometric and vegetative motifs are widespread all the way through the lands where Islam was once or still is a dominant religion with its cultural force. Islamic art is seen appearing in the private palaces and buildings such as the Alhambra in Spain in addition to the detailed metal work of Safavid Iran. Similarly, certain building architecture appears throughout the Muslim world: masjids with their minarets, mausoleums, gardens and religious schools (madrasas) all shares mutuality, though, their forms fluctuate

Read More

More about Islamic Influence On Christian Europe

Related Topics

Open Document