Final Semester....Here I Come!!!

It's almost that time again! Time for a new semester at Vermont College of Union Institute & University. I am so ready for this one to begin. If all goes as planned, it will be my LAST! Yay!!! Ok, I won't party too soon 'cause ya never know. But I am sure all will go well enough.

This being my last semester, I have to put much more effort into completing my thesis. I have 2 and a half chapters to write. The half chapter is the remainder of the Introduction (Chapter 1). I have already begun researching for Chapter 4: The House of Wisdom in the West (or something to that effect). I am looking closely at Andalusia for much of the chapter and will pan out from there for a few pages. I say Andalusia because this is where the Caliphate in the West was located under the Umayyads. I am currently reading a chapter in Scott Montgomery's Science in Translation and making notes of scientists listed within. Here are a few that I am planning to look into a bit more:

• Gerbert of Aurillac
• Adelard of Bath
• Gerard of Cremona
• John of Seville
• Hugh of Santalla
• Dominicus Gundissalinus
• Michael Scot
• Petrus Alfonsi
• William Moerbeke

I am sure I will find others along the way, but this is a start for now.

In other scholarly news, Ovation networks recently aired a special called "Paradise Found: Islamic Architecture and Art".

I caught a little bit of it, more than half way through the program, where the narrator was talking about Cordoba and the Umayyad Caliphate. I am hoping to catch the whole thing sometime in the near future, through the Google link I bookmarked (lol). Apparently, this documentary is a few years old.

Looking at the Ovation website, I did find another program scheduled to air Apri1 11 at 8pm called "Andalusia: The Legacy of the Moors". I will be watching that show, but the following week on April 17 at 9pm.

Ideas for Final Document/Masters' Thesis

After all of the studying I have done on the Middle East, during my undergraduate program at Michigan State University and now during my graduate program, I am finding myself more and more with the Caliphates (another way of saying dynastic rule). I especially like the time when there was a great transition in the Middle East from pre-Islam to the first couple of Caliphates: the Umayyads and the 'Abbasids.

One of my ideas for my final document is an historiography of the two caliphates, concentrating on their religious influence as well as the arts and architecture of the caliphs. Last semester I wrote a paper on the historical significance of the Arabian Nights and that really sparked my interest to lean more towards the arts and letters of the Middle East. So that's one idea.

As you can see by the maps, the Umayyad Caliphate covers a vast territory from the East at Damascus to the West at Cordova (al-Andalus). This territory is divided into two separate Caliphates as the Umayyads were pushed out of Damascus by the 'Abbasids and relocated (those that survived - which were very few) in what would become their second caliphate at Cordova. The 'Abbasids, on the other hand, occupied territory primarily in the vicinity of Iraq, Syria, and parts of neighboring areas. Their capital was moved to Baghdad and remained there for much of the time they ruled.

Another idea is to concentrate only on one of the caliphates: the 'Abbasids. This would allow me to be more detailed about the glory of their caliphate and especially of Baghdad. I am really interested in the history of Iraq before and during the middle ages, so this is another avenue I may pursue.

Of course, there is so much to research on this time period and so many possibilities for my final document. One thing that will remain unchanged is that I intend to do an historiography in the form of a more traditional thesis. And as always, I am open to suggestions on other possible topics.

Sources, sources, sources

So I have been browsing the library's journals for articles pertaining to my topic(s): Experiential Learning, Ethics (in the history profession), and the Umayyad Caliphate. Let's just say I am having more luck with the first topic and not so much with the other two. However, there is a wealth of books on the Umayyad's so that is a plus. Last semester I managed to get a "Special Borrower's" card from the University of South Florida's library, so I imagine I will be spending a lot of time there over the next few months! That's one good thing about living in a "college town" - even though Zephyrhills is "retirement central", I am within 20 minutes of the University, so it's a quick commute.

I just completed and submitted my first draft of the Learning Agreement for my Applications class and now I have to finish one for my Advanced Research Methods/Final Document Proposal class. I have to say that this has been an interesting experience so far in my education. Where we received a traditional syllabus from the professors at Michigan State University, at Union Institute & University we actually work with the professor to create one. I came into my Master's program with a little bit of independent learning under my belt from MSU, but I had no idea what I was getting into. I know that I will look back on this time at UI&U with much appreciation.

OK, My first thought and question

I was browsing through the online exhibit on the Freer and Sackler Galleries website last night and began to wonder why artists in the Middle East use cobalt blue so much in their artwork. Is there some significance in using the color blue? Did it have any special meaning to Islam? I hope that during my research on the caliphates that I will be able to find the answer.

Hello and Welcome

Welcome to my blog! I intend to use this space to discuss and share as I write my thesis over the next year. My working title is "From Iraq to Spain: Umayyad Influence Over Three Continents". It is my hope that I will be able to show how the Umayyad Caliphate was able to influence not only culture, but society as well in Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East (especially Iraq). As I delve into my research for this project, I will post anything that interests me from my readings. I have also devoted part of this blog to links to professional organizations I belong to, websites pertaining to my research, and a bibliography of sorts. I welcome any and all feedback as well as suggestions as we travel along this path together.

Thank you for stopping by!