Islamic style arches in generalife Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Islamic style arches in generalife - Essay Example The Generalife of Granada in Spain are the only example of Muslim architecture which gives us an rough idea of how these gardens initially, where in the Muslim spirit, in all improvised and its sensually instinctive construction, was finally carried away. The root of Islamic gardens for instance, dates back most likely to the Middle East, particularly to Persia (Curl & Curl, 2005 p., 35). The Generalife in Spain is composed of a series of huge gardens, where each corner holds a novelty or a pleasant surprise for the eyes, with less of obtrusive buildings. Many times this is considered as a true reflection of Muslim occupancy at this era of history. Uniqueness of architecture of any nation or region is more often than not related to the culture of the people and their history of civilization and Spain is not an exception. Spain as a nation has a history of invaders particularly Muslims. By the 11th century, Islamic rulers had taken over Spain, and this lasted for a period of over 800 years. Likewise, the power of unifying Christian forces made Spain lose its authority over its northern territories. The evidence is clearly reflected in the arches of Generalife and of the period that largely demonstrates a fusion of Islamic cultural traditions. The most beautiful and striking unique features in the Generalife gardens are the plants, the water with its continuous interpl ay with its sounds and light. Generalife can be considered to be one of the oldest surviving Moorish gardens. The Muslims grasped the use and design of the arch compared to any other civilisation. The unique attributes of the Islamic designs are observed all over Generalife. The gardens and were constructed when Muhammad III (1302–1309) was in power and redecorated was done shortly after by Abu I-Walid Ismail (1313–1324). Observing the Generalife keenly, one can conclude that perhaps no culture was more conversant with the design and application use of the arch more than the Muslims.

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

MARKETING ENVIRONMENT - Essay Example The political environment gives the political conditions, the government restrictions, relations between two countries etc which help or hamper the growth of the industry (Dev, 2005). The economic environment refers of the economy of the country and how supportive the economic conditions are for the growth of the industry. The social environment is actually the consumers’ demographics, their tastes, preferences, religion and preferences etc. which influence the industry. The technological advancements also play a major role in the industry’s growth factor. According to Kotler, (2003, p.690), then there are the legal factors which comprise of the laws and legal matters around the industry and lastly the ecological factors which relate to the environment and how it is affected by the industry. The SWOT analysis gives the threats and opportunities coming from the external environment and the strengths and weaknesses that exist in the internal environment of the firm/industry (Cooper, R 1986). Once this analysis has been conducted, the problem areas can be identified easily and these problems may be overcome using the strengths and opportunities and thus strategies are devised using the TOWS matrix. It is better to use a mixture of analysis than using just one model (Kotler, 2003, p.695). There has been a rapid advancement in technology and businesses have grown because of it. The internet is now easily available and thus trends have been changing where shopping is concerned. With the internet shoppers can easily shop online from the convenience of their homes and offices and do not have to go out for shopping (Plunkett Research, 2007). With the help of such technology, more consumers can be reached and the shopping can be conducted globally and in every part of the world. Also, with the advancement of technology, processes have become faster and consumer profiles can be maintained which enables targeted and focused marketing