The Silk Road: Music, Art, and Poetry from Istanbul to Samarqand
The Persian Empire comprised tribes and nations that assimilated artistic styles from every nation, as evidenced by philosophy from India, medicine from Syria, intellectual thought from Greece, and religion from Arabia. People who lived along the Silk Road possessed an inner life that was very special and was relayed in the form of music, poetry, and visual arts that expressed their most profound experiences.
Before the age of civilization, people had traversed large spaces and covered distances by using stars for guidance. The long journeys from Turkey through central European regions to central China allowed these individuals to reflect on their lives, and enjoy both poetry and art.
The consciousness of ages kept alive by the beauty of music and poetry of the cosmos guarded by the Islamic code gave travelers a yearn for adventure and promise of riches from the Far East that drew them to Constantinople.
Islamic rule became established across the world and to the very doorsteps of the waning Byzantine Empire. By the 11th century, Persian culture was brought to Anatolia Muslim invaders, and rich traditions of literature and art were inherited two centuries later.
15th century Muslims expanding to their territory, but only achieved complete conquest after the siege and defeat of Constantinople. During a 1000-year period, Christianity had been the foundation of the byzantine world and established itself as the eastern seat of power for the Roman empire.
In 1453, Sultan Mehmed captured Constantinople. The conquerors recited the Shada that there was no god but Allah and that Mohamed was His messenger. As the Christian heritage came to an end, the people sung and recited poetry in high spirits. The city became the home to the emerging Ottoman Empire. It also emerged as the starting point for the great caravans that traveled from Turkey to China and across several European territories.
Islamic history of the Persian Empire from Afghanistan to central Asia, originate in an Islamic city of Balkh. Here, devoted members of secret orders started dancing and poetry, as evidenced by how Delvish created a conduit for divine grace in dance.
Soroesta spoke of utterly new insight. He was able to perceive beyond the visible radiance of the world, to see that there was a single force that caused the flowers to bloom and the stars to shine. To him, the power of God was manifest on earth in the form of fire, with the most visible one being the sun. The source of light purified and renewed the cycles of life.
Persians saw life as highly temporary, and moments were celebrated in the excellent refinement of sensibility. Persian music was viewed as elegant and charismatic in that it presented the state and element of time, and enabled the world to be seen as a garden of joy. When the caravans entered central Asia, they came to Samarkand, the beautiful face of the earth and a center for Persian culture. Here, music echoed mysticism.
By viewing the film, I was able to understand the history of Persian culture and how Islam and the caravan travel was vital in spreading such culture from Europe to central Asia.