Muslim Cities DBQ
During the Post-Classical Age, cities and urban areas in Muslim society played critical roles in religion because Muslim people had to make religious pilgrimages to Holy Cities such as Mecca and Jerusalem, trade because the cities had huge complexes which allowed trade to flourish, and cultural advancement because the cities were filled with a variety of different people as well as there were great advancement in education.
Cities in Muslim society played a major role in religion because they were places where Muslims had to go to make religious pilgrimages. Ibn Jubayr, a Spanish Muslim traveler and geographer, said that Damascus was an important religious city because Allah gave Jesus and his mother refuge in Damascus which brought the city great honor (Doc 1). Al-Ya’qubi, Arab historian and geographer, explained the importance of the pilgrimage to Mecca for Muslims, which citizens of Syria were forbidden to make because Abdullah ibn Zubayr tended to seize the caliph’s citizens while on their journey to the Holy City (Doc 10). Document 4 shows most of the vital Muslim holy cities throughout North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. However, a document that expresses the viewpoint of a Christian on Islam is required to really get a true understanding on the religious roles of the cities. Religion was not the only role Muslim cities had, but also played a crucial role on trade.
Urban areas and cities held an important role in the development of trade which allowed it to flourish throughout the Muslim Empire. Nasier-e-Khusraw, a Persian Muslim traveler and Ismaili spy, states that the city of Cairo held bath houses, endless caravansaries, other public buildings, and at least twenty thousand shops, all belonging to the Sultan Saladin, which demonstrates the importance of trade in Cairo (Doc 5). Nasier’s point of view is to be trusted because he was an Ismaili spy, this shows that he is trained in collecting resourceful information. Arab scholar
Cities in Muslim society played a major role in religion because they were places where Muslims had to go to make religious pilgrimages. Ibn Jubayr, a Spanish Muslim traveler and geographer, said that Damascus was an important religious city because Allah gave Jesus and his mother refuge in Damascus which brought the city great honor (Doc 1). Al-Ya’qubi, Arab historian and geographer, explained the importance of the pilgrimage to Mecca for Muslims, which citizens of Syria were forbidden to make because Abdullah ibn Zubayr tended to seize the caliph’s citizens while on their journey to the Holy City (Doc 10). Document 4 shows most of the vital Muslim holy cities throughout North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. However, a document that expresses the viewpoint of a Christian on Islam is required to really get a true understanding on the religious roles of the cities. Religion was not the only role Muslim cities had, but also played a crucial role on trade.
Urban areas and cities held an important role in the development of trade which allowed it to flourish throughout the Muslim Empire. Nasier-e-Khusraw, a Persian Muslim traveler and Ismaili spy, states that the city of Cairo held bath houses, endless caravansaries, other public buildings, and at least twenty thousand shops, all belonging to the Sultan Saladin, which demonstrates the importance of trade in Cairo (Doc 5). Nasier’s point of view is to be trusted because he was an Ismaili spy, this shows that he is trained in collecting resourceful information. Arab scholar