During my walkthrough of the Arab lands section I noticed some very nice pieces. If I had to choose one in particular it would have to be the Ivory from Muslim Italy. These pieces come from the island of Sicily where commercial networks connected Sicily to North Africa and Europe. At the time the Normans controlled the island and had the advantage of being protected from both the Byzantine empire and Muslim forces. Trade plays a heavy part in this section. The Ottoman Empire established its maritime dominance in the Mediterranean, which allowed merchants to trade.

Arab Lands linkAlbum

The Jerusalem exhibit was probably my favorite of the two. Once again maritime travel and merchant seamen so well adapted to changing times and were so well prepared. There was one image I took of a huge book called ‘Map of the Holy Land’ which outlined how European Christians could navigate the port of Acre. Also showed where Noah’s ark was believed to have landed. Another good piece was the tools seamen used to travel. A map that showed the Levantine trade routes that showed Jerusalem halfway between Damascus and the port of Ascalon. The astrolobe could help travelers tell time, geography, and position of the stars easier as well.

Jerusalem link Album 2