Prior to Islam, the concepts of worshiping idols, man-made figures, or images of earlier Prophets depicted as gods had direct impact on the Islamic Art. Islam views the depiction of living beings, particularly people, as a potentially blasphemous attempt to revive the creative powers of God and such pictures are rigorously excluded from most religious settings. However, there is a continuous tradition of using figures as part if decorative schemes in non-religious contests, particularly in the illustration of books.
Islamic Art & Decoration
Three Elements
Calligraphy in various forms of Arabic Script.
Arabesques, scrollworlk and floral or plant type designs.
Geometricaldesigns using a limited number of geometric shapes in many different ways.
Sometimes, these three elements are combined together in the decorative schemes of single objects.
Modern Times - World's tallest Buildings
Based on Islamic geometry, some of the world's tallest buildings are located either in Islamic countries, such as the building under constructions in the United Arab Imarets, or the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia. Others have Muslim architects who pioneered structural engineering concepts, and developed Building Icons around the world. Many are in the US, such as the Chicago Sears Tower (tallest building in the US today), the Shell Plaza in Huston, and John Hancock Center in Chicago.
