The influence of Islamic Arts on the European arts in the monastery of St. Catherine mobile Artifacts

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Lecturer of Archeology and Islamic Civilization, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels Mansoura University

Abstract

St. Catherine’s Monastery was built by order of the Emperor Justinian in the sixth century AD, in response to the request of the monks of Mount Sinai for the construction of the camp safe for them to worship, and to secure the borders of the great empire.
The monastery enjoys the support and attention of all denominations of Christians in the world, despite the fact that the monastery was built in the Byzantine period, but he owes the international fame and importance in the Islamic period.
Where it expanded the scope of the monastery during the Islamic era, and spread mentioned in the whole world, taking advantage of the tolerance shown by the Muslim ruler of the monastery and its members in the exercise of their rituals.
This led to race between authorities in European Christianity countries and the Arab-Islamic countries to dedicate important Artifacts on many occasions to the monastery.
Notes the prevalence of effects and Islamic decorative in many of those pieces even though it made in Europe, as a result of the spread of Islamic art in many parts of Europe through contact with civilization areas between the two civilizations Arab Islamic and Christian Europe, in addition to increasing and extend the Muslim area in Europe during the period of Ottomans and Safavids.
This research will focus on a review of some of those artifacts, which saved in the monastery of St. Catherine ,made in different regions of Europe ,was donated to the monastery, and the review of the Islamic motifs and effects appeared to them, which is a sign of a global Islamic art and spread between East and West regions