The word Islamic identifies art and architecture created for people of Muslim faith. Historically, it also refers to works created in geographic areas ruled by Muslims. Islam as a religion began around 600 CE in what is today Saudi Arabia. By the end of the seventh century, it spread beyond the Arabian Peninsula and eventually covered large areas of Asia and the Middle East, as well as parts of Europe and North Africa. Islam was a religious and cultural force, and one important idea impacts almost all Islamic art and architecture. Out of respect for Allah, or God, no images of living creatures are depicted. The term for this is aniconism, the absence of direct representation of nature, especially animals or people, in art. Islamic art encompasses the visual arts produced in the Islamic world. Islamic architecture includes two important types of buildings. The first is a structure of worship, called a mosque. Typically, mosques had large central domes and entrances of semi-circular arches. They also included minarets, which were high narrow towers with stairs that led to a balcony from which prayer was called five times a day. This comprehensive book on Islamic Art and Architecture is a great resources guide for students and educators of graduate courses of art and architecture.