33 About This Module: Byzantine and Muslim Culture
Topics Covered:
- Byzantine and Muslim Civilizations to Include
- Byzantine and Muslim Architecture such as the Hagia Sophia
- Aniconism and Iconoclasm
- Constantinople
- Justinian
- Muhammad and Islam
This module introduces students to Byzantine and Muslim artistic, political, and religious expressions that developed between late antiquity and the Late Middle Ages. Students will determine what cultural artifacts such as the Hagia Sophia and the Qur’an tell us about the historical context of the Byzantine and Muslim civilizations. Students will demonstrate understanding of cultural expressions by noting how the role that icons played in Byzantine and Muslim culture. Students will recognize the contribution that Byzantines and Muslims made to the world, particularly in the fields of Law and Medicine. Finally, students will also demonstrate proficiency in critical thought by comparing the role that religion played in the governance of the Byzantine Empire and early Muslim states. (1)
Learning Outcomes Related to this Module
- Demonstrate proficiency in critical thinking
- Recognize the relationships between cultural expressions and their contexts
- Understand cultural expressions
- Interpret and evaluate cultural artifacts and/or their contexts for significance
- Recognize the important contributions of the classical world; understand and analyze specific primary texts from the classical world
Objectives
Upon completion of this module, the student will be able to:
- Sort events in historical order from the Byzantine and Islamic civilizations.
- Identify the cultural contributions of the Byzantine and Islamic civilizations.
- Identify the historical developments that led to the rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire.
- Identify religious developments within the Greek Orthodox Church during the Middle Ages.
- Identify key elements of Islamic belief and practice.
- Identify the historical developments that led to the development of Islam in the Middle East and the rise of the early caliphates.
- Identify artistic and architectural achievements of Byzantine and Muslim culture.
- Identify major Byzantine and Islamic figures and their achievements. (1)
Assigned Readings
- Learning Unit – Byzantine and Muslim Culture
Assignments | Learning Activities
- Review Learning Unit
- Participate in Discussion 7
- Complete Timeline Assignment 7
- Complete Assessment Module 7