What did medieval Europe learn from Islam and Byzantium Essay Example for Free

What did medieval Europe learn from Islam and Byzantium Essay The empires of Islam and Byzantium have most definitely left an impression on the modern society we live in today. Sciences such as astronomy and biology proposed under the influences of these great domains and it was only inevitable that their teachings would spread to, what was perceived at the time, the backward existence of medieval Europe. This essay will identify the key aspects of both Islamic and Byzantium culture that most encouraged the eventual prosperity of medieval Europe and the impact on the normal lives of its citizens. During the Iberian conquest and settlement, Arab inspiration was soon to pave the way for a renaissance in Europe. Taylor stipulated that the â€Å"advent of Islamia in Spain indirectly led to the architectural magnificence of Europe’s finest cathedrals†. (Taylor, 119). The churches of western christianity in southren and central Italy as well as in southern France and Spain do show some amazing peculiarities local architects likely borrowed from their colleagues in the Islamic world. Notably, the use of coloured marble in certain Italian styles, and the peculiar use of domes in the churches of southern France show influences of Islam. However, by far the most notable influence of the Islamic world on Christian Europe was, without a shadow of doubt, the introduction of pointed arch into the west, which the Muslim architects were well acquainted with, but the development of such a construction was a major problem for entire generations of Christian architects. Without the use of pointed arch it would be impossible to develop Gothic style with its monumental and fantastic cathedrals of northern France and central Europe. This, perhaps, was the single greatest contribution of Islam to the development of the Christian architecture. A view shared by Harun â€Å"†¦foundations of Gothic traditionalism can be founded in much of Muslim contributors†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Harun, 23). The spread of such art was not limited to the influences of the Islamic world. In fact the status, both politically and culturally, of the Byzantium Empire led to a extensive replication of its work. â€Å"Art objects in great number were imported to the West from Constantinople and other Greek centres† (Simmons, 274). A perfect example of such imitation can be highlighted by the decor of many a cathedral and church in Europe during the eleventh century. Heavy bronze church doors resembled greatly some of the sarcophagi found and dating from the Byzantium era. However it is not only art that medieval Europe learnt from Islam and Byzantium traditions. Science had a huge impact on Europe also and the teachings of the Muslim scholars were soon interpreted and adapted by the early scientists of the west. While European hospitals at this time were usually simply monasteries where the sick were told they would live or die according to Gods will, not human intervention, Muslim hospitals pioneered the practices of diagnosis, cure, and future prevention. The first hospital in the Islamic world was built in Damascus in 707, and soon most major Islamic cities had hospitals, in which hygiene was emphasized and healing was a priority. Hospitals were open 24 hours a day, and many doctors did not charge for their services. Later, a central hospital was established in Baghdad by order of the Abbasid ruler, the first of thirty-four hospitals throughout the Muslim world, many of them with special wards for women. An important contribution of Byzantium is arguably the fact that it was the first Empire in which dedicated medical establishments usually set up by individual Churches or the State, which parallel modern hospitals in many ways, flourished. Although similar establishments existed in Ancient Greece and Rome, they differed in that they were usually either institutions for Military use, or places were citizens went to die in a more peaceful way. Medical Institutions of this sort were common in Imperial Cities such as Constantinople. It is clear the advancement throughout the western world during medieval times, was largely due to the influences of the Islamic and Byzantine Empires. Both respectively contributed greatly to the eventual progression found throughout Europe. As these two powers declined, the imitations and, as Dr Simmons describes, â€Å"barbaric representations† made by Europeans of such civilisations certainly preserved the existence of western Europe and perhaps even dragged them out of the commonly known â€Å"Dark Ages†.