Above: Alhambra Calligraphy. Photograph.
The Arts
Islamic Art, much like other cultures, is an expression of, who they are, were they came from, power and emotion, how they went about expressing this was somewhat different from what Europe was used to. From the 8th century to the 15th century the Islamic western frontier was al-Andalus.(23) The arts of Islamic-ruled al-Andalus are often characterized by the tension forged in Islamic centers and through defying the presence of the encroaching alien cultures and religions (mainly Christianity and Judaism). The primary arts under examination in this research are literature, predominantly poetry, and architecture. However, one can also see the various stages of Islamic rule in Spain reflected in the arts through various movements and adaptations within language (arabic had a large impact on the romance languages), poetry, music, sculptures, paintings and within the grand architectures.
23 Jerrilynn Dodds. "The Arts of Al-Andalus." In The Legacy of Muslim Spain, 599. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1992.