Muslims excelled in ornate and intricate designs since they rejected drawing and sculpting the human image for fear of idolatry. Their artistic style consists of rugs, silks, leatherwork, metal work, cotton textiles, highly glazed ceramics, and fine glass, as well as wall hangings, tiles, inlaid metalwork, carved wood, and furniture. Another art polished to sheen by Muslims was calligraphy, or stylized form of penmanship that developed into a form of the lesser arts and with which they decorated their manuscripts and books. Calligraphy was also used to beautify mosques, palaces, mausoleums, and shrines (as illustrated by the Alhambra and the Dome of the Rock) where painted and highly glazed tiles decorated the interior and the exterior of their buildings, whilst gold leafing and gold ink were used to decorate the Quran, and floral designs and geometric patterns, with bold borders on each page, employed to enhance Muslim books and manuscripts....
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