Inquiry Paper- Venice and the Islamic World

Go to http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vnis/hd_vnis.htm and read the associated articles linked to the top of the page. Look also at the works of art in each article.

Consider the following statement: In the Later Middle Ages, commerce began to revive in the Mediterranean Basin and the wealth of this trade, at first centered almost exclusively in Venice, helped bring on the Renaissance. The rise in commerce brought two different cultures into contact with each other with interesting results. The interactions of these cultures can be seen through there are as well as their commercial and diplomatic contacts.

The assignment-  After reading the articles and using the artifacts works of art as documentary evidence (you can’t use all of them, so be selective- use those that advance your thesis), write a 2-3 page paper assessing the relations of Venice and the Islamic world in the Later Middle Ages and Early Renaissance. You should also draw on your knowledge of the Renaissance. If you use other resources, be sure to cite them properly.

A few hints about process- Think before you write- and don't summarize. First- read every article (they are short) and click on the associated images.Look at the images and read the descriptions. After you have done this, THINK- Ask yourself, "Howam I going to approach this? How will I organize my paper? What will be my thesis??? When you have an answer to this question,begin to put your thoughtson paper.

Good Luck