After the capture of Mecca in A.D 630 and the death of Muhammad, his successors, the rightly-guided caliphs, began the outward expansion and spread of Islam.

 

The first Muslims established a state that functioned according to the principles of the Qur’an. Initially the Prophet Muhammed himself and the succeeding caliphs (Abu Bakr, Omar, Uthman and Ali) in turn became heads of that state. The newly established Islamic state expanded through Jihad, or Holy War (fighting for the Islamic cause) and it became a vast empire. After the four caliphs, the united Islamic empire was formed by the Ummayad dynasty (A.D 661-750), with Muawiyah being the first leader. During this time the capital was moved to Damascus. Then under the Abbasids (A.D 750-1258), Iraq was made the centre. The Caliphate of the Seljuks lasted from A.D c1055 to A.D c1258. Finally the Mamelukes (until A.D 1517) and the Ottomans (A.D 1517-1924) continued the Islamic realm. 

 

It was the duty of every Muslim to fight for the spread of the one true religion: Islam. The followers of Muhammad conquered Persia and Egypt, Syria as well as Palestine, which brought them to the Mediterranean coast. These conquests brought the Muslims to the frontiers of the Byzantine Empire, which they proceeded to attack.

 

With the conquest of North Africa and part of Spain, the Arabs controlled a large part of the Mediterranean coastline.  It was under these circumstances that Cyprus, due to its strategic position in the Eastern Mediterranean, was to attract the Arabs.  Thus followed the Arab raids that for years caused destruction and suffering to the Cypriots.

 

SPREAD of ISLAM

q Muhammad

q Qur’an: (The Koran)

q The Spread of Islam

q The Arab Raids

A VIRTUAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE

HALA SULTAN TEKKE

WITH THE USE OF MULTIMEDIA AND 3D ANIMATION