Compare and contrast the culture and society of the two important Muslim cities, Istanbul and Isfahan

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER:
The two cities differed strikingly in their architecture. Istanbul had been transformed from a Byzantine into a Muslim city, and its great walls contrasted with the open spaces and giant royal plaza of Isfahan. Istanbul was a great seaport; Isfahan was built well inland. Both cities were designed for walking. Wheeled vehicles were rare in Istanbul and nonexistent in Isfahan, as Isfahan was in an area dominated by camel transport. Houses were crowded together in both cities. Women's roles were similar?and restricted?in both Istanbul and Isfahan. Women were seldom seen in public and had special quarters in the home, called the anderun in Iran and the harem in Istanbul. Nevertheless, women were accepted in business and trade, although within certain well-defined and accepted boundaries. Poetry and art were more fully developed in Isfahan than in Istanbul. Isfahan, the later capital of the Iranian empire, was located geographically in the middle of the empire and was not very diverse socially or culturally. Istanbul, on the other hand, was a geographic crossroads and reflected the diversity of its many different peoples.