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The role of Ibn Sina (Avicenna)’s Medical Poem in the transmission of medical knowledge to medieval Europe

Were you aware that in the Medieval Islamic world, celebrated scientists such as Ibn Sina used to relay their teachings through poetry? Poems structure and rhythm aided the process of...

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Mosque of Whirling Colours: A Mixture of Architecture and Art in Nasīr al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz, Iran

There are numerous mosques all around the world. Each has a design of its own. However, in order to be distinctive from other mosques, a mosque needs to be unique and possess outstanding features....

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A 1000 Years Amnesia: Sports in Muslim Heritage

Professor Salim Al-Hassani published in the issue 369 (Spring 2012, p. 10) of Runnymede Bulletin (Spring 2012 Runnymede Bulletin - Sport) a short article on “Sports in Muslim Heritage”. He argues,...

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The Sound Rules in Reading the Quran (Tajwid) in Qutb Al-Din al-Shirazi’s Music Notation

In the Islamic world, starting from Al-Kindī (d. 874), Al-Fārābī (d. 950), Ibn Sīnā (d. 1034), and Safī al-Dīn al-Urmawī (d. 1294) used the abjad notation to write music. Of these writers, the most...

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The Influence of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi on Ottoman Scientific Literature

The works of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi have always attracted the interest of Ottoman scholars as early as the 14th century. Some of his works were translated into Turkish and various annotations or...

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Architectural Links between East and West in Early Modern Times

In a programme broadcasted on BBC Radio 3 on Sunday 14 February 2010, the work and influence of the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan was highlighted, through the description of his magnificent...

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Figure 1: An Abru (marbling) sample from Dr. Mehmet Kileci. (Source).

Beauty and Aesthetics in Islam

The Islamic civilisation allowed the development of autonomous norms of beauty that were inspired by the...

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Figure 1. Yivli (Grooved) Minaret Mosque, Antalya, Turkey (Image from Miniaturk, Istanbul).

The Minaret, Symbol of a Civilization

The minaret is the architectural shape which best indicates the presence of mosque. Over the centuries the...

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Figure 1. The entrance gate of Aleppo Citadel. (© Murat Özyildirim)

Aleppo Citadel: Glimpses of the Past

The Citadel of Aleppo is one of the oldest monuments in the world. It is the most famous historic...

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Figure 1: A large size mushaf written by Ahmed Karahisarî, displaying the aklâm-i sitte. On each page, four rectangular panels (koltuk) show examples of high-quality illumination as executed in the reign Sultan Süleyman I, (Library of the Topkapi Palace Museum).