Arabic-Muslim cultural region

Muslim CultureMuslim culture is a term primaly used to describe all cultural practices common to historically Islamic people.

Religion of Islam

Muslim culture generally includes all the practices which have developed around the religion of Islam. A lot of us think of it more as a religion than a culture.

Islam

Islam is the Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur’an, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of the one, incomparable God and by the Prophet of Islam Muhammad's demonstrations and real-life examples.

Women in Islam

Sharia (Islamic law) provides for differences between women's and men's roles, rights, and obligations. Majority Muslim countries give women varying degrees of rights with regards to marriage, divorce, civil rights, legal status, dress code, and education based on different interpretations.

MarriageMarriage in Islam is considered to be of the utmost importance. The final prophet of Islam, Muhammed, stated that “marriage is a half of religion”

Language and literature(the earliest period)

Early Muslim literature is in Arabic. As the early history of the Muslim community was focused on establishing the religion of Islam, its literary output was religious in character.

For example, Qur’an, Hadith and Sirah

Secular Muslim literature

The Book of One Thousand and One Nights

became a part of a widespread culture

Modern writers

Today, classification of writers by language is increasingly irrelevant. The Egyptian Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz has been translated into English and read across the world. Other famous writers are Orhan Pamuk and Salman Rushdie.

Islamic ArtIslamic art, a part of the Islamic studies, has throughout history been mainly abstract and decorative , portraying geometric, floral, Arabesque, and calligraphic designs

Islamic calligraphy

Forbidden to paint humans and taught to revere the Qur’an, Islamic artists developed Arabic calligraphy into an art form, to express the beauty they perceive in the verses of Qur’an.

Elements of Islamic styleIslamic architecture may be adentified with the following design elements:

1. Large courtyards often merged with a central prayer hall

2. Minarets of towers

Elements of Islamic style

3. Domes4. Use of geometric

shapes and repetitive art

5. Use of decorative Arabic calligraphy6. Use of symmetry

Elements of Islamic style

7. Ablution fountains

8. Use of bright color

9. Focus on the interior space rather than the exterior

Muslim MusicIslamic music is Muslim religious music, as sung or played in public services or private devotions.

Because Islam is a multicultural region, the musical expression of its adherents is diverse.

Belly Dance – traditional Arabic dance

The term "Belly dance" is a misnomer as every part of the body is involved in the dance. Belly dance takes many different forms depending on country and region, both in costume and dance style; and new styles have been invented in the West as its popularity has spread globally.

Thank you for your attention!