Index Islam & culture
Dirham of the Caliph al-Mansur
My collection includes a silver Kufic dirham minted during the reign of the Caliph al-Mansur, who ruled from 136 to 158 AH (the Muslim...
The Islamic Agricultural Revolution
The centuries-old traditions of science and research in the Islamic world formed the foundation for our modern understanding of many fields of...
The tallest building of the 9th century
Skyscrapers are nothing new these days. The first skyscrapers were built in New York City at the end of the 19th century. In the 20th century,...
Leo Africanus: the traveler and geographer
Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Wazzan, known to history as Leo Africanus, was born in the Spanish city of Granada to a Muslim family. In 1492,...
The path to medicine in the Ottoman Empire
Medical education in the Ottoman Empire had its own unique structure, influenced by both Islamic and classical traditions. The system of medical...
Lisbon’s Muslim traces
When we think of Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city, brightly coloured trams, fado, pastel de nata, and ancient cathedrals immediately come to our...
A forgotten chapter of literature
It is hard to imagine today, but some of the greatest figures in French culture not only respected Islam but openly admired it. In the 19th...
Fazl ibn Yahya and the world’s first paper mill
Although paper was invented in China in 105, the secret of its production remained hidden and mass production was not established...
The Great Caucasian Wall
This city has more than twenty names and its main landmarks are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It still holds many unsolved mysteries...
Arabs at the gates: when Rome almost fell
In the mid-9th century CE, Rome, once the heart of a great empire, was in decline. The city, whose population had dropped to 30,000, could no longer...
The name of a fairy-tale hero on a coin
I have a coin in my collection that has a proper name written on it – Ja’far. Over the 600 years of minting Kufic dirhams, this name was minted on a...
From China to Kyrgyzstan: the fate of the Dungan people
Sufi tradition of the Dungans A special place in the religious life of the Dungans is occupied by Sufism - a science that emphasises the inner...
From China to Kyrgyzstan: the fate of the Dungan people
Early in the morning, in a small village in the Chui Valley, the muezzin’s call to morning prayer is heard. The minaret of the local mosque is...
Travel notes of the Arab traveler Ibn Battuta
The names of such famous explorers as Columbus, Magellan and Vasco da Gama are familiar to many. But has anyone heard of Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn...
George the Victorious – Jarjis: the righteous man on the coat of arms of Russia
George the Victorious (Saint George), known in Christianity as a great martyr, revered for his spiritual fortitude and miracles, is mentioned in the...
Art is nearby
To begin with, let us ask ourselves: what is art? There are many definitions, but we will stop at this one: art is a special kind of form-creating...
The very first house on Earth
Why is it so important to perform Hajj? Pilgrimage (Hajj and Umrah) is a visit to holy places, which at least once in a lifetime every...
Why do men wear a turban?
A turban, an amama is a special headdress familiar to many from films and fairy tales about the wonderful East, where Aladdin and other characters...
Why do Muslims pray on a mat?
The image of a Muslim performing namaz on a prayer mat has become firmly entrenched in the public consciousness. However, why is a mat used in...
Sindhi topi – a symbol of Sindh culture
Sindh is the southernmost province of Pakistan; a region with its own unique culture, traditions and a thousand-year-old heritage. It is here that...
Why was the month of fasting called Ramadan?
Ramadan is a month that is revered by almost two billion Muslims all over the world. We know that during this month the daily routine changes:...
Top five great cities of the Great Silk Road
People have learned to establish trade relations since ancient times. The exchange of goods and services allowed humanity to manage its time and...
The Prophet ﷺ never refused this thing
The smell emanating from a person plays a significant role in his life, because smells are among the first qualities that an interlocutor or society...
What are the secrets of Arab clothing?
Many of us who have visited Arab countries, in particular the United Arab Emirates, have noticed that local men wear a long white robe with a white...
Al-Quba: the first mosque in Islam
It is better to go to ziyarat early in the morning, so that by the midday prayer one can return to the Prophet’s Mosque ﷺ, so as not to miss...
The Koran in Russian Poetry
A number of Russian poets paid special attention to the Holy Book of Muslims in their work. The beautiful, unusual and unsurpassed style of the Koran...
Al-Quba: the first mosque in Islam
Al-Quba Mosque is the first mosque in the history of Islam. It was built by the Messenger of God ﷺ himself and his companions. They built the mosque,...
Why are mosques built with minarets?
Today, it is impossible to imagine the appearance of a mosque without a minaret. This is a tall tower-like structure erected in a corner or corners...
Islamic Festival Pageantry: Kano and northern Nigeria
On the second day of the Eid festivities, the Emir and his entourage exit Kofar Khwaru about in the late afternoon to pay homage at the Babban Daki...
Islamic Festival Pageantry: Kano and northern Nigeria
In a Hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Anas related that: “When the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) came to...
Statements from outstanding people about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
“My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world’s most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was...
Where is the stone from which the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ascended to heaven?
This stone is actually a rock that is widely known in the Muslim world. It was from this rock that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ made his ascension...
A city of mosques lost in the jungle
In the southwest of the modern state of Bangladesh, at the confluence of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, there is an abandoned ancient city that...
Eight Interesting Facts About the Prophet’s ﷺ Mosque
Millions of pilgrims from all over the world visit the holy places of Mecca and Medina all year round, especially in the Hajj season. The hearts of...
Ten little-known facts about the Kaaba
The Kaaba is the most revered Muslim temple on earth. It is in its direction that all believers pray when standing for namaz. Every year millions of...
‘IT’S ARABIC’
SHUFTI Shufti: “Take a shufti” is how thousands of English soldiers described ‘taking a look’ when they were posted to...
The Arab who opened the way to India for Europeans
The discovery of a sea route from Europe to India led to tectonic shifts on the political and economic map of the world in the 15th century, becoming...
‘IT’S ARABIC’
MUSLIN Muslin is a lightweight cotton cloth in a plain weave that came from Mosul in Iraq, where it was first manufactured. The city gave its name...
Muslim coins of the Bukharkhudat type
On the territory of modern states: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and in the southern regions of Kazakhstan, there have been found amazing Muslim coins that...
‘IT’S ARABIC’
TRAFALGAR Trafalgar is where Admiral Nelson won the most famous sea battle in British history, off Cape Trafalgar which sticks into the Atlantic...
Islam in the homeland of the Italian mafia
The series “Octopus,” popular in the early 90s and then the film “The Godfather,” which became popular among young people,...
UNESCO and the Islamic Written Cultural Heritage
The world’s peak intergovernmental body assisting in the safeguarding of mankind’s cultural heritage is UNESCO – the United Nations...
‘IT’S ARABIC’
AZIMUTH Azimuth is derived from the Arabic words zawiyat al samt and is the horizontal part of the direction of a star from the observer, and comes...
Islamic Festival Pageantry: Kano and northern Nigeria
Further ceremonial processions take place on the third day, the Emir riding out of the city through the Nassarawa gate in the east, making a stop at...
Islamic Festival Pageantry: Kano and northern Nigeria
In a Hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Anas related that: “When the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) came to...
QALA QURAYSH AS A FAMOUS QURAYSH CITY IN DAGESTAN
Up to the 5th century A.D. all the territory of Dagestan was part of Caucasian Albania but later its southern part became under the dominion of the...
‘IT’S ARABIC’
ALTAIR Altair is the brightest star in the constellation Aquila (Eagle in Latin). The name altair is an abbreviation of the Arabic al Nisr Al...
THE ISLAMIC VIEW OF NATURE
From the Islamic perspective, nature is one, created and sustained by the One All-Powerful God, who is constantly, intimately aware of and...
Children are Our Future
One of the pressing problems of our time (and not the only one) is raising children. Unfortunately, many parents nowadays say that they do...
TURKEY’S FIRST UNDERGROUND MOSQUE
The first underground mosque in Turkey has been constructed in the Buyukcekmece district in a suburban neighborhood on the outskirts of...
The Essence of the Place of Communal Prayer: The Open-Air Mosque
In recent years there has been a revival in interest and nostalgia for open air mosques. Thus thousands of local worshippers gather on important...
The Essence of the Place of Communal Prayer: The Open-Air Mosque
The Essence of the Place of Communal Prayer: The Open-Air Mosque On a high mountain pasture deep in the locality of Chiktil in the Tabasaran region...
ARTISTIC TREASURES
The mosque and madrasa of Sultan Hassan in Cairo are one of the largest Islamic religious buildings in the world. Egypt undoubtedly is an...
‘IT’S ARABIC’
COFFEE The coffee tree is native to Sudan and Ethiopia. The word coffee derives from the Turkish word kahve and the Arabic word qahwah, which means...
ISLAM HADHARI IN MALAYSIA
Islam Hadhari is complete and comprehensive, with an emphasis on the development of an economy and civilization capable of building the Muslim...
ISLAM HADHARI IN MALAYSIA
Malaysia is a multiracial country with a population that currently stands at 33 million, of which approximately 63 percent are Muslims. Islam is...
CULTURE AND INTELLECTUAL HERITAGE OF JAPANESE MUSLIMS
Most people are not familiar with Islamic history in East Asia, despite the region being home to one of the world’s oldest mosques,...
Do you know the way the Kaaba is washed?
The Kaaba is the place revered by all Muslims. Believers all over the world turn towards it in prayer. It would seem that everything is known about...
Islam in Europe: Wooden Prayer Spaces of Ottoman Thrace (Bulgaria and Greece) – Testimony to a Spiritual Continuum
Of particular relevance here is the interior dome of the Paşayazi Köyü Camii: it is lined with plain wooden radial segments and others made up of...
Islam in Europe: Wooden Prayer Spaces of Ottoman Thrace (Bulgaria and Greece) – Testimony to a Spiritual Continuum
At the beginning of the 20th century, Lieutenant-Colonel F.R. Maunsell, Military Attache to the British Consulate in Istanbul, travelled extensively...
Adorning the Hajj: Mahmal and Kiswa
Part 2. Robing the Kaaba as Perpetual Prayer In Mecca each year, on the 9th day of Dhu al-Hajj, the day of Arafat, a major ritual takes...
Adorning the Hajj: Mahmal and Kiswa
Adorning the Hajj: Mahmal and Kiswa Part 2. Robing the Kaaba as Perpetual Prayer In Mecca each year, on the 9th day of Dhu al-Hajj, the day of...
The Mazar (Ziyarat) of Sheikh Bahauddin Naqshband: Revelations of the Earliest Photographic Documentation in Colour
Part 2 – The Khanaqah of Abd al-Aziz Khan (1544-45) This is the second part of an article dedicated to the earliest coloured photographs of the...
The Mazar (Ziyarat) of Sheikh Bahauddin Naqshband: Revelations of the Earliest Photographic Documentation
Part 1- The Holy Tomb Precinct (Hazira) As presented in the No.22 November 2017 issue of As-Salam, the Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich...
It’s Arabic
ReamReam is a measure of a quantity of sheets of paper. It comes from the Arabic rizma, meaning bale or bundle, and the word arrived with the...
Devotion, Dhows and Donkeys: The Island of Lamu, Kenya – a Precious Reservoir of Living Islamic Traditional Culture
Lamu Island has twenty three mosques, including the late 19th century Riyadha Mosque (Sunni) and the Ithna'asheri Mosque (Shia). Most are modest...
Devotion, Dhows and Donkeys: The Island of Lamu, Kenya – a Precious Reservoir of Living Islamic Traditional Culture
There are a number of smaller communities in the Islamic world, which have largely preserved their traditional townscapes and have sustained their...
Sheki, Azerbaijan: Window onto the Life of a Caucasian Muslim Khanate
There are a number of smaller communities in the Islamic world, which have largely preserved their traditional townscapes and Muslim cultural...
Mauritius: Dynamic Islam in an Island Nation
In the midst of the Indian Ocean there is a group of islands which form the Republic of Mauritius. The largest island is Mauritius, where the capital...
The Essence of the Place of Communal Prayer: The Open Air Mosque
On a high mountain pasture in the locality of chikhtil in the tabasaran region of the southern caucasus of dagestan there is a large open air mosque....
Worship and learning in Gidatli: a microcosm of dagestan highland culture
Deep among the high peaks of the Caucasus in the northwest of the Republic of Dagestan is the Shamilsky Region. Historically part of the traditional...
Amazing mosques of Turkey
World’s first underwater mosque The first underground mosque was constructed in Turkey’s Buyukcekmece district in Istanbul in 2013, the building...
Distant Pathways: Islam in Colonial and Contemporary Latin America
By the time the hegemony of Spain gave way to nationalist independence movements throughout its colonies in the 18th and 19th centuries, variants of...
Distant Pathways: Islam in Colonial and Contemporary Latin America
When Christian Spain colonized large areas of the Americas from California to the southern tip of South America in the 15th and 16th centuries, it...
Mauritius: Dynamic Islam in an Island Nation
In the midst of the Indian Ocean there is a group of islands which form the Republic of Mauritius. The largest island is Mauritius, where the capital...
The train to Mecca
“… I follow the way of love, and where the path of love’s caravan goes, there is my religion, my faith.”” Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi (1165-1240), Tarjuman...
The unique lost islamic landscapes of the west caucasus
On a fine calm day in late July 1836, at the order of Tsar Nicholas, the government steam-boat, “Peter the Great”, set out eastwards from Yalta on a...
The Lost Minaret of Tatartup: Religious Devotion and Coexistence in the Northern Caucasus
In the early summer of 1869, the English mountaineer Frederick William Freshfield, sailed from Trebizond on the north-east Turkish coast to the port...
Distant pathways: cape muslims of South Africa
In 1990, the international community welcomed the release from 27 years of captivity of Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013), the figurehead of the struggle...
Vorontsov and the Alupka Shahada: Architecture linking East and West
“The setting of our abode was impressive. Behind the villa, half Gothic and half Moorish in style, rose the mountains, covered in snow, culminating...
“The Little Alhambra”: The Tordesillas Palace of Pedro I and Spain’s Enduring Islamic Architectural Legacy
“Oh my warriors, where would you flee? Behind you is the sea, before you the enemy. You have left now only the hope of your courage and...
The Great Mushaf and Monumental Rihal of Samarkand
“We have sent down the message and We will assuredly guard it.” (Koran 15:9) In the summer of 1868, Vasily Vasilyovich Radlov (1837-1918), a young...
4 Beautiful Pieces of Islamic Architecture around the World
1. The Alhambra Alhambra (Spanish rendering of the Arabic words “qa’lat alHamra”, meaning “red castle”) is an architectural palace complex located...
The Jameh mosque of Isfahan
The Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, Iran, is a veritable museum of Islamic architecture and still a working mosque. Within a couple of hours you can see and...
When the greek Parthenon was a Great Mosque: 1458-1687
On the summit of the Acropolis, the fortified core of ancient Greek Athens, stands the shell of the Parthenon, one of the architectural glories of...
Time of breaking a fast
Does it make a difference when to break a fast: before or after the evening prayer? And will the Almighty accept it if we break an hour later? Ibn...
Fasting six days in the month of shawwal
Shawwal is the first of the three months of Ashhur Al-Hajj (months of the Hajj). Despite the main rites of the Hajj being performed in the first ten...
Reliving Ramadan traditions
Muslims from around the world observe Ramadan in their unique ways. Every community welcomes the holy month with its distinctive traditions and...
Artistic treasures of Islamic Egypt
The mosque and madrasa of Sultan Hassan in Cairo are among the largest Islamic religious buildings in the world. Egypt undoubtedly is an ancient...
The best-preserved Ottoman period town in Europe
After the death of Hoxha in 1985, a gradually more tolerant stance was taken and in 1990 the ban on religious observances in Albania was lifted....
Islamic cultural heritage destinations: Gjirokastra, Albania – the best-preserved ottoman period town in Europe
There are a number of smaller communities in the Islamic world, which, to a very significant degree, have preserved their traditional townscapes and...
UNESCO and the Islamic Written Cultural Heritage
The world’s peak intergovernmental body assisting in the safeguarding of mankind’s cultural heritage is UNESCO the United Nations Educational...
Morocco’s Inspiring “Green Mosques” Programme
In striving to meet these goals Morocco is becoming a world leader in the integrated application of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency...
Magnificent mosques: The Kalon mosque of Bukhara
When the Kalon Mosque of Bukhara was built in 1127, its minaret was probably the tallest building in Central Asia. Bukhara (also spelled Bux oro) is...
Prophet Isa Spiritual and Educational Centre
The Spiritual and Educational Centre named after the Prophet Isa was conceived and is becoming day by day a centre for the unification of Dagestanis...
When the Greek Parthenon was a Great Mosque: 1458-1687
On the summit of the Acropolis, the fortified core of ancient Greek Athens, stands the shell of the Parthenon, one of the architectural glories of...
Adorning the Hajj: Mahmal and Kiswa. Part 2. Robing the Kaaba as Perpetual Prayer
In Mecca each year, on the 9th day of Dhu al Hajj, the day of Arafat, a major ritual takes place. The sumptuous cloths which adorn the Kaaba the...
Adorning the Hajj: Mahmal and Kiswa. Part 1- The Pilgrimage Journey as Sacred Procession
While the religious rites of the Hajj connected with the Holy City of Mecca have not changed since the Prophet Muhammad e made his first and only...
The IRD Batik motif “Pesona (Enchantment) COVID-19 Endorphin”: a reflection of the «Contemplation» Koranic mode of thinking, based on Sura Al-Baqarah, ayat 164
It is narrated that Usama bin Zaid was heard saying, “Allah's Messenger mentioned the plague and said, ‘It is a means of punishment with which some...
The ird batik motif Covid: a refl ection of the «Contemplation» koranic mode of thinking
The batik textile art has travelled a very long historical journey through the culture and civilization of Indonesia to today’s modern designs or...
Mosques of the Baltic Tatars: Six Centuries of Islamic Worship in North-Eastern Europe
The late 14th century was a time of great upheaval in southern Eurasia – in the lands where the Khans of the Mongol Golden Horde had developed a...
The First Mosques in North America
In the late 19th century and first decades of the 20th, other Muslims travelled across the Atlantic to the United States and Canada, this time...
Britain’s Earliest Mosques - Part 1
Something most unexpected was about to happen. As a local newspaper reported, “Hundreds of guests had gathered in the Great Hall, in the Empire...
