Important Cities and Location in the Islamic and Byzantine Empires

Major Dwyer

G Block

Important Cities and Locations of the Byzantine and Islamic Empires

In any empire there are cities or locations that represent are iconic. Between two important empires, Islam and Byzantium, there were many differences in direction of development, and also the religion that influenced these empires. For Islam, there was a spiritual uphold which leaned the advancement in culture towards what is needed and what is used by Muslims, such as mosques, and centers for learning and becoming smarter as a whole. In Byzantium, there was more of a sophisticated culture filled with areas of luxury, and less amounts of learning and education involved. Islam had more cities inside it that blended cultures, such as Damascus, Baghdad and Córdoba. These cities each influenced Islam evenly, from the first public hospital, to a learning center and religious area all in one. Byzantium had one main city, in Constantinople, yet during the earlier stages of the empire, religious disputes and control took place in Nicaea.

The Byzantine Empire started with a smaller support in Christianity, and in the smaller city Nicaea the first and last General Council of the Church took control because the bishop had not been developed yet (Bryer). Known also for the silk-dyeing acts, Nicaea didn’t have much attention brought to itself until 1208, when Michael Autoreanus was elected patriarch of Constantinople and got control of Nicaea. He made the full attempt to change the capital to Constantinople, and was successful(Bryer). Known for it’s name in connection to the leader Constantine, the Byzantine empire influenced Constantinople heavily with Christianity. For roughly 1,000 years, the Hagia Sophia was the most famous church in all of Byzantine. It was known for amounts of gold, along with its specific architectural designs, from the arches and mosaics, which were influential in both Muslim and Byzantine societies(Rautman).  Another important building in Constantinople was the Hippodrome, located in the Great Palace of Constantinople. The Hippodrome was designed very similar to the Hagia Sophia, through mosaics, arches and columns, and was the area where successful military generals were honored(Rautman). Different from Byzantine, Islam had many cities that blended religion and education together.

Ancient Islam had believed during one period in Christianity, then developed the religion based off Allah. Unlike Byzantine there wasn’t a main city, such as Constantinople, but many cities. One of the cities was Córdoba, was the number one muslim location for intellectual activity(Alford). Along with Córdoba, Damascus was one of the biggest religious areas in Ancient Muslim. Damascus was known for connections with Saint Paul, and also as the burial place of Saint John. Along with its religious ties, Damascus had famous textile work, and many artisans were brought up there(Alford). The last culturally influential city in ancient Islam was Baghdad. Home of the House of Wisdom, Baghdad was known for its many trade settlers and the blend between Persian and Hellenistic culture. In each of these societies there were important cities, yet in those cities the important buildings and locations are the true attracts to these empires.

For the Byzantines and Muslims, the most important buildings weren’t located in the sub cities, like Nicaea or Córdoba, yet they were located in the most popular areas, like Constantinople and Baghdad. In Constantinople, the Great Palace of Constantinople was the location of the Hippodrome, and was the centerstage for daily drama and information. In many different rooms, there was lounging and feasting. One room, the Golden Hall, was the main dining hall, where the emperor would be placed in a mosaic in front of Christ, with the quote below it “behold, once again the image of Christ shines above the imperial throne and confounds the murky heresies; while above the entrance is represented the Virgin as divine gate and guardian”(Rautman Palace). In ancient Islam, the main building was the House of Wisdom. Inside was a library built under the Abbasids, which held thousands of books in Sanskrit, including the famous mathematician Euclid’s “Elements”(Ghazanfar). Many books included topics about philosophy, medicine, and astronomy. Another very important advancement and location for ancient Islam was the first public hospital. It included different wards for mental, or physical problems, and surgery. The hospital also had a lecture hall where apprentices watched elders(Alford). These places represented their empires and helped advance the culture and education for both societies.

In conclusion, having an iconic city for an empire would take time. Each empire went through many hardships, and eventually lost their cities or buildings. Each had differences in how they wanted to advance. For the Byzantines, it was through religion, general success and luxury. For the islams, it was leaned toward more religion and education, which helped form a strong, balanced society.