Art
An aged matron, dressed in a full length robe that leaves oly her eyes and hands uncovered, slides the shuttle of the loom back as she deftly forces the threads into a fascinating geometric patterns of brilliant colors and shapes. Like much of the Arab world the Islamic religion forbids the use of people in artwork because Allah has decreed that it is unholy to worship idols. As a result of this artists of Iraq have used paints, tiles, and threads to turn pattern making into a high art form. The matron pauses and lifts her head as sinulating music drifts up from the street below. A scantily clad women gyrates to the sound of an oud, an Arabian lute, a rebab, a fiddle, and a kanoon, a stringed instrument that can have as many as a hundred strings. A small turbened man keeps the rhythm on a drum imported by the Ottomans, and people chant, stamp, and clap as they throw coins to the dancing women. Forms of traditional music form an important part of life for many residents of Baghdad. Other artists pour their talent into their crafts. A large clay water urn is transformed into a piece of art as a young boy paints a spiraling design of small, black triangles and octagons onto the formerly drab surface of the pot. A wall in a Mesopotamian ruin is cleared of dust and a beutiful carving is uncovered. As you explore Baghdad you will find artistic wonders hidden in every corner.