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Islamic civilization experienced a golden age more than one thousand years ago. The Golden Age refers to the period between 750 and 1250 CE when Arab culture and influence were at a high point. By the middle of the 8th century, the Islamic Empire was very large. It extended from West Africa across to West India and as far as South China. Muslim leaders during this period were very interested in discovering new knowledge in the countries which they now ruled. In addition, Arabic had become the standard language of learning, and so it was widely used by scholars who were studying the fields of arts and sciences. Through their work, these men made some extremely important advances in areas such as literature, philosophy and mathematics. Furthermore, many discoveries and inventions of the Golden Age have also made a valuable contribution to western civilization. This essay will describe some of the artistic achievements of this era, particularly in the fields of architecture, calligraphy and poetry. The rapid expansion of the Islamic empire during the Golden Age led to several new developments in architecture. Many beautiful palaces were built to reflect the wealth of the sultans who lived in them. Moreover, Arab architects began to use local styles and traditions in the buildings they designed. We can see this quite clearly, for example, if we look at two very different mosques (see Figs. 1 and 2). Furthermore, the importance of trade in this age led to the building of many caravanserais or ‘khans’. (Watkins,n.d.). These were built along the trade routes to receive merchants, their animals, and their goods. Calligraphy was another important form of artistic expression during the Golden Age. The word ‘calligraphy’ means ‘beautiful writing’. Islamic artists were forbidden from using human figures in their work, so they used geometric shapes and written phrases to decorate their mosques, holy books and everyday objects (Wikipedia, 2006). Moreoever, these texts were often taken from the Qu’ran, and so they also represented the word of God. Calligraphy was therefore not just an artistic expression; it was a religious expression too. During the Golden Age, poetry was extremely popular in Arabic society. The first poems had been created by nomads who traveled the desert. Later on, professional poets appeared in the towns. They wrote for rich citizens, and often performed on the streets (Mann, 2003). One of the most famous types of Arabic poems is the ‘ghazal’, which is a love poem. The ‘rob’ai’ is another very well-known form of poetry. It is a 4-line verse in which the first, second and fourth lines rhyme. The best-known example of ‘rob’ai’ was written in Persia, and is called the ‘Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam’. Muslim culture reached a high point very early on in its history and produced many works of great artistic beauty. This essay has looked at only three areas of artistic expression. It has shown how architecture developed, how buildings were decorated with Islamic calligraphy and how poetry grew from being a simple form of expression used by nomads, to becoming an art form. For more than 1,000 years Islamic civilization remained the most advanced and progressive in the world. It is only nowadays that the rest of the world has begun to remember this. Reference List Mann, H. (2003, January 11). Islamic literature. Retrieved March 15, 2006, from http:// www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Literature,%20Poetry?Literature.html. Watkins, J.(n.d.) Golden Age of Islam. Retrieved March 14, 2006, from http://regentsprep.org/ Regents/global/themes/goldenages/islam.cfm. Wikipedia. (2006, September 30). Islamic golden age. Retreived October 1, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Age_of_Islam.