Islamic Influence
Beginning in the seventh century A.D. the Islamic Empire dramatically spread out of the Arabian Peninsula reaching as far as Spain to the west and Indonesia to the east. The Arab conquerors of the 7th and 8th c AD adopted and adapted to the artistic traditions in the areas they conquered, such as the geographic region of modern Iran. One significant influence of Islamic theology was experienced in the realm of artistic expression. Belief in a single creator, Allah, would eventually prohibit the artistic use of anything that might become an idol or indicate that the artist was attempting to duplicate the work of the creator. As a result, artistic restrictions resulted in the development of alternative art forms most notable of which are the Arabesque and Persian styles.