BYZANTINE AND ISLAM NOTES

Byzantine Notes starting 4/11 Islam Notes starting 4/18

What was the name of Istanbul before it got changed?

Constantine

When did the Roman Empire fall in the West?

476 CE

Where did the Roman Empire continue?

In the East

How long did the Eastern part of the Roman Empire continue for?

Almost 1000 more years

What do historians remember the Roman Empire as?

The Byzantine Empire

Where was Constantinople located?

The Bosphorus (strait that links the Black and Mediterranean Sea)

What was the famous arena for horse racing?

The Hippodrome

When did Justinian rule from?

527 - 565 CE

What was Justinian’s goal?

To revive the glory of Rome

Justinian organized Roman laws into the…

“Body of Civil Law”

Today, what is the “Body of Civil Law” known as?

The Justinian Code

What did the Justinian Code do?

Protected Roman laws from disappearing

What did Justinian build?

The Hagia Sophia Church “Holy Wisdom”

When did Justinian build the Hagia Sophia?

537 CE

When Constantinople was captured, what did the Hagia Sophia turn into?

A mosque

What time did Theodora live from?

500 - 548 CE

Who was Theodora?

The wife of Justinian, also ruled alongside her husband, Justinian

What rebellion broke out at the Hippodrome? When?

The Nika Revolt; 532 CE

How many protesters died as a result from Justinian sending in his army @ the Nika Revolt?

30,000 protesters

What impactful thing did Theodora do to help women?

Created reforms to help women, banned killing unwanted babies, gave women property rights in divorces

What did Theodora begin her career as?

An actress

When did Sultan Mehmed II lead a conquest on Constantinople?

May 29, 1453

What empire was Sultan Mehmed II from?

Ottoman Empire

What did the Ottomans rename Constantinople to?

Istanbul

What was the Eastern Orthodox Church headed by?

The Patriarch

What was the official language of the Eastern Orthodox Church?

Greek

What led to a schism with the Western European Church?

Banning of icons (images of important Church figures)

What was the religion of the Byzantine Empire?

Christianity

Where in the world is Mecca and Medina?

Saudi Arabia, Middle East, Arabian Peninsula

What physical features is Mecca and Medina near?

The Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf

What profession did Muhammad pursue?

Being a merchant (trader/businessman)

When and Where was Muhammad born?

570 CE in Saudi Arabia

Most people who lived in Arabia (Arabs) were polytheistic _________

Nomads

Who told Muhammad he was going to be God’s final prophet?

Angel Gabriel

How old was Muhammad when Angel Gabriel told him the message?

40

Where was Muhammad forced out of?

Mecca

After Muhammad got forced out of Mecca, where did he go?

To Medina

What was Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Medina called?

The Hijra “migration”

When did Muhammad and his army return to Mecca?

630 CE

When Muhammad successfully took over the city, what was the name of his new religion?

Islam

When did Muhammad die?

632 CE

What is the collection of Islamic oral tradition?

The Hadith

According to the Hadith, what did Muhammad do when he passed away?

He flew to Jerusalem on a winged horse, and rose to heaven

What did the Shiites believe?

Caliphs have to be descended from Muhammad’s daughter Fatima and her husband Ali

What is Fatima’s relationship to Muhammad

His daughter

What did the Sunnis believe?

That any worthy man can be caliph

What did the Sufis do?

Tried to have a spiritual connection to Allah through meditation

What did the Umayyad Caliphate conquer?

North Africa and Spain

How long did the Umayyad Dynasty last?

661 - 750 CE

What did the Abbasid Caliphate conquer?

The Umayyad Empire

How long did the Abbasid Dynasty last?

750 - 1258 CE

Who captured Constantinople?

The Ottomans

When did the Ottomans capture Constantinople?

1453

What was the name of Christian boy-slaves that were converted to Islam and served in the army?

Janissaries

Who beautified Istanbul and created a law code?

Suleiman the Magnificent

When did the Roman Empire fall?

476 CE

What was happening with the Muslim traders when the Roman Empire fell?

They were crossing the Sahara Desert and the Silk Road— leading to a strong economy and cultural diffusion

What was the new style of art that the Muslims developed?

Arabesque (geometric patterns that resemble floral shapes)

Islamic architects built ____

Mosques, domes, and minarets

What is one of the most famous works of Islamic literature called?

1001 Nights

What is a vizier?

Advisor

Muslim scholars translated _______

Greek, Roman, and Hindu texts

Where did the Muslims spread the Hindu number system (Arabic numerals) to?

Europe

Who invented Algebra?

Al-Khwārizmī

What did Medieval European doctors use to bleed their patients?

Leeches

What did Muslim doctors perform?

Cataracts surgery, and provided small pox vaccinations

What did Ibn Sina write?

Canon on Medicine (an encyclopedia of medical knowledge)

Constantinople is an important city because

It connects Europe and Asia

What is the most holy place in Islam

Mecca

What is Justinians code?

Combination of Roman laws plus new ones

Byzantine Empire helped preserve the cultural heritage of

Greece and Rome

Unlike Roman Catholic priests, orthodox priests

Can’t marry

To Muslims, Christian’s and Jews were considered to be

“People of the book”

The Islamic empire was at the center of a

Trading route

Islamic culture and ideas were spread by

Cultural diffusion

Muslims used ____ numerals

Arabic

Muslims preserved the teachings of other cultures by

Translating Greek texts