‘Did Islamic culture influence the development of educational institutions like the Inns of Court?’

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My 1st Q. – ‘Did Islamic culture influence the development of educational institutions like the Inns of Court?’

AI – ‘Yes, Islamic culture likely influenced the Inns of Court through the madrasa system, which provided a model for law-focused educational institutions with perpetual endowments, attached lodging, and organized legal instruction. However, the extent of this influence is debated, with some scholars suggesting it was minimal while others, like George Makdisi, argue for a significant connection, particularly through mercenary Templars in the Levant. 

The Madrasa as a Model

  • Purpose:

Madrasas were educational institutions for Islamic law, theology, and other subjects, often linked to mosques. 

  • Structure:

They typically included a mosque, lodging for students, and a library, creating a comprehensive educational environment. 

  • Endowments:

Madrasas were often supported by a waqf, a charitable endowment that guaranteed their financial independence and long-term operation, a system also seen in the foundation of Merton College in England. 

The Templar Connection

  • Transporting Ideas:

Some theories suggest the Knights Templar, after being present in the Levant, may have imported the madrasa model to England, leading to the development of the Inns of Court. 

  • Similarities:

The Inns of Court, like the madrasas, served as lodging and a meeting place for lawyers and law students, and were attached to religious institutions. 

Counterarguments and Nuances

  • Timing of Suppression:

The Templars were suppressed in 1314, but legal scholars only began to congregate in the Inns of Court in the 1360s, making a direct connection less likely. 

  • Independent Development:

English law developed independently, and the Inns of Court could have evolved from existing Roman and Germanic legal traditions rather than from Islamic influence. 

Conclusion

While the direct link remains a subject of scholarly debate, the similarities in structure, purpose, and endowment between the Islamic madrasas and the later-developed Inns of Court suggest a possible, though perhaps indirect, cultural exchange of educational ideas.’ 

My 2nd Q. – ‘Did Islamic art develop a complex tradition of abstract, geometric, and calligraphic designs to express profound spiritual meaning?’

AI – ‘Yes, Islamic art developed a complex tradition of abstract, geometric, and calligraphic designs to express profound spiritual meaning. This emphasis on non-figurative art is rooted in the Islamic principle of aniconism, which discourages the depiction of sentient beings, especially divine figures, to avoid idolatry. Instead of reproducing the physical world, artists sought to represent the transcendent qualities of God and the cosmos. 

The significance of geometric patterns

Islamic geometric patterns are meticulously constructed designs that hold deep spiritual symbolism. 

  • The infinite nature of God: The repeating and interlocking patterns, which have no visible beginning or end, serve as a visual metaphor for the unending, eternal nature of Allah.
  • Divine order and unity: The symmetry and order of geometric designs reflect the equilibrium of the universe and the concept of Tawhid (the oneness of God). This visual harmony evokes a sense of divine order in creation.
  • A tool for reflection: The complex nature of these designs, built from simple forms like the circle and the square, is meant to inspire contemplation. They draw the viewer’s attention away from the material world and toward spiritual truths. 

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Muslim Heritage

The spiritual language of calligraphy

Arabic calligraphy is the most revered form of Islamic art and is used to transform sacred words into a visual medium of devotion. 

  • Vessels of divine revelation: As the script of the Qur’an, calligraphy is seen as a conduit for the divine word. The act of creating it is considered a form of worship and meditation.
  • Symbolic of divine energy: The flowing, dynamic curves of calligraphic scripts, such as Diwani and Thuluth, reflect the dynamic and ongoing energy of the divine.
  • Architectural messages: Calligraphy is frequently integrated into architecture, adorning the walls of mosques, domes, and mihrabs (prayer niches) with Qur’anic verses. This practice integrates spiritual meaning directly into the sacred space. 

The arabesque

The arabesque is a distinct decorative motif that features rhythmic, linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing plant motifs. 

  • Eternity and continuous growth: The flowing, continuous lines of the arabesque symbolize the unending, perpetual nature of creation. These stylized plant forms are an expression of the natural world, representing paradise.
  • Harmonious complexity: Arabesques are often combined with geometric patterns and calligraphy, adding a layer of organic beauty that balances the mathematical precision of the other elements. 

The role of the artist

In this tradition, the focus is not on the artist’s individual expression but on the divine beauty being channeled. This anonymity was a way for artists to show humility and transform their creative process into an act of worship, elevating the focus to the divine rather than the self. 

My 3rd Q. – ‘Do Penrose Tiles appear in any ancient Islamic Art?’

AI – ‘Yes, quasiperiodic, or Penrose-style, tilings have been found in 15th-century Islamic art, notably on the Darb-i Imam shrine in Iran, which displays a near-perfect example of such a pattern. These patterns, called girih tilings, demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of geometry that predates the modern discovery of Penrose tiles by some 500 years.
 

Key Findings

  • Girih Tiles:

Physicists Peter Lu and Paul Steinhardt discovered that Islamic artisans used a set of simple, complex-shaped tiles called “girih” (which means “knot” in Persian) to create these complex, non-repeating patterns. 

  • Darb-i Imam Shrine:

The most famous example is on the façade of the Darb-i Imam shrine, built in 1453. When analyzed, this pattern almost exactly matches a Penrose tiling. 

  • Advanced Geometry:

This discovery indicates a much higher level of mathematical understanding in medieval Islamic culture than previously assumed, as they developed these patterns through local rules of subdividing and overlapping tiles rather than simple compass-and-ruler methods. 

  • Wider Presence:

Further research identified similar non-periodic tiling patterns in various Islamic structures and artifacts dating from the 10th to the 15th century, found in locations such as Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and India. 

In essence, while the term “Penrose tiles” refers to a modern mathematical concept, the aesthetic and mathematical principles behind them were evidently applied in ancient Islamic art and architecture centuries before their Western “discovery”. 

My 4th Q. – ‘What do quasiperiodic or Penrose-style tiles symbolise in Art and Science?’

AI – ‘In Art and Science, quasiperiodic or Penrose-style tiles symbolize the blending of order and chaos, representing the unexpected beauty found in complex, non-repeating patterns that adhere to underlying mathematical rules. In art, they can represent the human search for deeper meaning and connection, while in science, they explain the existence of quasicrystals, a new state of matter with novel symmetries, linking them to new material properties and scientific understanding.
 

In Art:

  • Beauty of Mathematical Order:

The tiles symbolize the inherent beauty and wonder of mathematical rules, which, despite their simplicity, can generate infinitely complex patterns. 

  • Human Creativity and Infinity:

Incorporating these tiles into art can be a way to express the beauty of mathematical order and the boundless possibilities of human creativity, showing how fundamental principles can lead to endlessly varied results. 

  • Search for Meaning:

For some, Penrose tilings symbolize the universal and relentless human quest to find a connecting thread in the universe, representing the deeper meaning or reason behind life and existence, according to Medium. 

  • Order within Complexity:

The tiles illustrate the concept of order within what appears to be chaotic or unpredictable, as the specific arrangement of tiles is infinitely complex, but the overarching rules for their placement are consistent. 

In Science:

  • Quasicrystals and New Materials:

The most direct scientific application of Penrose-style tiling is in explaining the formation of quasicrystals, a completely new state of matter that combines properties of crystals and non-crystalline substances. 

  • Forbidden Symmetries:

Penrose tiles reveal novel symmetries, such as five-fold symmetry, which are “forbidden” in ordinary crystals but allow for quasiperiodic atomic arrangements in quasicrystals. 

  • Understanding Atomic Structures:

The patterns provide insights into the complex but non-repeating atomic structures of quasicrystals, helping scientists understand why these unique materials form and exhibit their unique properties. 

  • Technological Applications:

The study of quasicrystals has led to the development of new materials with applications in various fields, including razor blades, surgical instruments, heat insulation, and devices that convert heat to electricity.’ 

As far as I am aware there are no quasiperiodic or Penrose-style tiles anywhere in the Inns of Court. This would suggest that the architects of Templar buildings in the Inns of Court were either: (i) ignorant of the existence of quasiperiodic or Penrose-style tiles; (ii) did not understand the significance of the geometric patterns underlying quasiperiodic or Penrose-style tiles; or (iii) that they did, and decided that this sacred geometry was not significant, or that in some way the existence of these patterns, which are found in nature, contradicted the belief system of their religious order.

It appears that Quasiperiodic or Penrose-style tiles do not appear anywhere in Templar architecture.

AI – ‘Penrose tiling was discovered in the 1970s by Roger Penrose, but similar, non-repeating, complex geometric patterns called girih were used in medieval Islamic architecture centuries earlier. 

It is important to distinguish Penrose tiling from earlier medieval Islamic geometric patterns (girih). 

  • Islamic architects and mathematicians used complex, non-repeating patterns called girih around the 13th century. 
  • These patterns share similarities with Penrose tiling, but they are distinct and originated in Islamic art and mathematics, not in Europe during the Templar period. 

Therefore, while quasiperiodic patterns have ancient roots in other architectural traditions, they are not associated with Templar buildings.’ 

See also – Roger Penrose – Forbidden crystal symmetry in mathematics and architecture: Roger Penrose – Forbidden crystal symmetry in mathematics and architecture