Hafsah
26-11-06, 10:21 AM
3-PART SERIES OF PROGRAMMES ABOUT ISLAMIC HISTORY
Dates: Tuesday 28th November, 5th December & 12th December 2006
Time: 7.15 pm
TV Channel: Channel 5
Islam today is the most misunderstood and controversial religion.
In this series Akbar Ahmed, a leading Islamic scholar, takes us
on a journey to the beauty and sophistication of Islamic art and
architecture. In three stunning programs we see the glories of
the great historical cites of Istanbul, Damascus and Cairo.
Programme 1 - The first in the series looks at the achievements
of the first Islamic dynasty, the Umayyads, who established their
capital at Damascus. This programme does not just deal with mosque
or religious architecture. At Jericho we see the remains of one
of the Arab conquerors' luxurious desert palaces, with its famous
gazelle mosaic that has become an icon of Islamic visual art. From
the Ayyubid period we see the mighty Citadel of Aleppo, which was
only conquered by Tamerlane himself.
Programme 2 - A main theme of the series is introduced here, i.e.
how Islam, for centuries, has held a special respect for knowledge
and learning - ilm in Arabic. Professor Ahmed argues that it was
when this respect for learning was weakened, so was the force of
the whole religion. He finds cause for optimism in the huge modern
library built at Alexandria, on the site of the old Hellenic
library. It is a magnificent building where the most sophisticated
computer data-banks sit near precious manuscripts of medieval poets.
Cairo's role as a centre for glassware and ceramics is examined in
this episode. The city's influence spread so far that even modern
Sicily displays evidence of the time when the Fatimids ruled the
island.
Programme 3 - The final of the three which deals with the last
great Islamic dynasty, the Ottomans, and their great capital at
Istanbul. The Ottomans continued the theme of borrowing from,
or adapting, the work of their Byzantine predecessors. The two
dominating buildings of historic Istanbul are the Blue Mosque
and Haghia Sophia. The latter is a converted Christian cathedral,
still containing the images of Jesus and Mary alongside the motifs
of the early caliphs. This episode also looks at calligraphy, the
peculiarly Islamic art-form which grew out of the careful copying
of the word of God. Akbar Ahmed also considers Sufism, a warm and
attractive branch of Islam which focuses on meditation, inner
strength and religious passion. There is something of a revival
of Sufism in Turkey and its influence can be found too in modern
Turkish painting.
Akbar Ahmed is the author of numerous books on Islam and associated
topics. He is the Ibn Khaldun Professor of Islamic Studies at the
American University, Washington DC. Akbar Ahmed was the Pakistani
High Commissioner in London and has taught at the universities of
Cambridge and Princeton. He has been at the forefront of efforts
to reconcile the adherents of different religious faith, working
with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Chief Rabbi of the UK,
and especially working with the father of Daniel Pearl, the
American journalist murdered in Pakistan. He has just finished a
major research project and book for the Brookings Institution.
Akbar Ahmed is a regular contributor to the BBC and to American
stations including CNN, Fox, CBS and NBC.
For more information e-mail Dr Boase at R.Boase@qmul. ac.uk (http://us.f272.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=R.Boase%40qmul.ac.uk)
Dates: Tuesday 28th November, 5th December & 12th December 2006
Time: 7.15 pm
TV Channel: Channel 5
Islam today is the most misunderstood and controversial religion.
In this series Akbar Ahmed, a leading Islamic scholar, takes us
on a journey to the beauty and sophistication of Islamic art and
architecture. In three stunning programs we see the glories of
the great historical cites of Istanbul, Damascus and Cairo.
Programme 1 - The first in the series looks at the achievements
of the first Islamic dynasty, the Umayyads, who established their
capital at Damascus. This programme does not just deal with mosque
or religious architecture. At Jericho we see the remains of one
of the Arab conquerors' luxurious desert palaces, with its famous
gazelle mosaic that has become an icon of Islamic visual art. From
the Ayyubid period we see the mighty Citadel of Aleppo, which was
only conquered by Tamerlane himself.
Programme 2 - A main theme of the series is introduced here, i.e.
how Islam, for centuries, has held a special respect for knowledge
and learning - ilm in Arabic. Professor Ahmed argues that it was
when this respect for learning was weakened, so was the force of
the whole religion. He finds cause for optimism in the huge modern
library built at Alexandria, on the site of the old Hellenic
library. It is a magnificent building where the most sophisticated
computer data-banks sit near precious manuscripts of medieval poets.
Cairo's role as a centre for glassware and ceramics is examined in
this episode. The city's influence spread so far that even modern
Sicily displays evidence of the time when the Fatimids ruled the
island.
Programme 3 - The final of the three which deals with the last
great Islamic dynasty, the Ottomans, and their great capital at
Istanbul. The Ottomans continued the theme of borrowing from,
or adapting, the work of their Byzantine predecessors. The two
dominating buildings of historic Istanbul are the Blue Mosque
and Haghia Sophia. The latter is a converted Christian cathedral,
still containing the images of Jesus and Mary alongside the motifs
of the early caliphs. This episode also looks at calligraphy, the
peculiarly Islamic art-form which grew out of the careful copying
of the word of God. Akbar Ahmed also considers Sufism, a warm and
attractive branch of Islam which focuses on meditation, inner
strength and religious passion. There is something of a revival
of Sufism in Turkey and its influence can be found too in modern
Turkish painting.
Akbar Ahmed is the author of numerous books on Islam and associated
topics. He is the Ibn Khaldun Professor of Islamic Studies at the
American University, Washington DC. Akbar Ahmed was the Pakistani
High Commissioner in London and has taught at the universities of
Cambridge and Princeton. He has been at the forefront of efforts
to reconcile the adherents of different religious faith, working
with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Chief Rabbi of the UK,
and especially working with the father of Daniel Pearl, the
American journalist murdered in Pakistan. He has just finished a
major research project and book for the Brookings Institution.
Akbar Ahmed is a regular contributor to the BBC and to American
stations including CNN, Fox, CBS and NBC.
For more information e-mail Dr Boase at R.Boase@qmul. ac.uk (http://us.f272.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=R.Boase%40qmul.ac.uk)