Islam is a varied and artistically focused culture that covers a wide range of styles and people. Unlike many Western cultures, Islamic art isn't divided into any particular categories or movements but contains rich creations that range from the late 7th century until modern times.
Additionally, Islamic art becomes even more complex when people consider that this art category covers many of the Muslim nations in the Middle East, all of which have their own customs.
Although many people consider Islamic art to be strictly religious in nature, this isn't true. Islamic art has more influences than just the Muslim faith, including folklore and myths, as well as abstract designs that were used to develop several different forms of decorative architecture and then adapted to canvas. In fact, Islamic art focuses less on religion in their art than their Western neighbors!
Islamic art has developed from a combination of Eastern and Western cultures and yet retains its own identity as an art form. The artistic cultures that primarily influenced Islam artists were Chinese, Roman, Byzantine, Early Christian, and, most importantly, Persian Sassanian art which shares many similarities with ,Islamic art as well as serving an important role in developing Muslim cultures.
One of the most fascinating styles of Islamic art is the arabesque style. These patterns contain flowering plants or abstract designs that are repeated throughout the artwork. For many people, these works serve to highlight the transcendent and infinite nature of God. One of the most interesting things about Islamic art is that the depiction of humans isn't used in worship practices for fear of being considered idolatry. Because of this, patterns and abstract designs were used to portray man's connection with God and the world around them instead of representational art.
Calligraphy is an important element of Islamic art, as well. Two of the main types of script were known as kufic and naskh, which were used for decorating and enhancing many kinds of designs, whether the script was in the form of letters or not.
