This is particularly challenging question to answer. The religion of Islam began in the Middle East during the seventh century and quickly spread east across Central Asia to parts of China and Southeast Asia, and west into large areas of North and Central Africa, and Europe. The term “Islamic art” does not necessarily indicate that the art is religious in subject matter, but refers to art produced by cultures that practice Islam. Islamic art is therefore incredibly diverse, and influenced by both religion and secular cultural values. Some of the most common types of Islamic art include carpets and tapestries, calligraphy, book decoration, metalwork, and architecture.