[Illustration from a Kalila wa DimnaManuscript, 1200–1220 CE;
taken from: http://teachmiddleeast.lib.uchicago.edu/foundations/golden-age-islam/image-resource-bank/image-02.html]
This page provide primary documents - text-based and visual images - to use in the classroom. The text documents all come from the Islamic History Sourcebook from Fordham University, which has an impressive collection of primary source texts; the selections below are only two examples.
TEXT
"Yakut: Baghdad under the Abbasids, c. 1000 CE"
This text is a description of the city of Baghdad, the City of Palaces. It describes the palace at the center of a large garden, the long, clean streets, and the travelers that passed through the city. The details reveal it is a richly diverse city with wealth and beauty. For American students who think of Baghdad in its current state of violence after the Iraq War, it might be a nice contrast that brings that city and culture to life. This text could be read for homework, and students could respond to it by formulating their own questions like, "Who cleaned the streets? Where did the poorer citizens live? Were foreigners always welcome in the city?" and so on.
"Tarik's Address to His Soldiers, 711 CE"
This document is a version of the Muslim commander, Tarik, giving a rallying speech to his soldiers during the conquest of Spain. He encourages his troops by reminding them that they are not in their homeland and have no choice but to fight; describing their future spoils; and even invoking Roderick, the king of the Visigoths, as a tyrant who is oppressing his people. This is an interesting document that helps illuminate what soldiers at the time were interested in, and a useful starting point for the conquest of Spain, which took a quick five years. Roderick and other Visigoth kings were notoriously oppressive toward Jews, which encouraged them to join the side of the Muslims during the campaign. It is also interesting to note that there is not mention of a religious motivation. This document frames the conquest as that for riches and even political freedom, with only an indirect reference to religion. This could be an interesting counterpoint to those that claim jihad and call Islam a religion fundamentally rooted in violence.
VISUALS
[1229 CE; taken from: http://teachmiddleeast.lib.uchicago.edu/foundations/golden-age-islam/image-resource-bank/image-01.html]
This image comes from an Arabic translation of De Meteria Medica, which was originally written by the Greek Dioscorides, who lived during the Roman Empire around 70 CE. This image shows the connection between Arab and classical knowledge, and how important it was to the Islamic world. This image also confronts the belief that Islam forbade the depiction of animals and people due to its fear of idolatry. In contrast, this image shows Muslims and their devotion to learning.
The Great Mosque of Cordoba
These images are all of the Great Mosque of Cordoba in al-Andalus, whose construction began during the reign of Abd al-Rahman I. Subsequent emirs - and eventually caliphs - of al-Andalus added to the size and grandeur of the mosque, and the beautiful red and white arches are some of the most enduring images to come from the Islamic Empire. The second image shows an aerial view of the mosque as it stands today, and is an example of how mosques were built: facing Mecca, a courtyard with orange trees and a fountain of ablutions, a minaret from which the call to prayer was announced, and a wide, open area for prayer. The third image is of the interior, which shows the intricate beauty of the mihrab. The mihrab is a niche along the qibla wall, which the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca, and toward which Muslims pray. These images might be useful for students to learn the parts of a mosque, and are example of the art and architecture of the period.
The interesting thing about the Great Mosque at Cordoba is that it is not only a mosque. Once Cordoba was conquered by the Christians in 1236, the mosque was converted into a Cathedral. Instead of tearing the building down, the Christians inserted a cathedral in the middle of the building (which you can see in the aerial photo), complete with altar, pews, and a new tower.
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