The contribution of Arab culture in the field of music and art is rich and diverse. Although some views may think that its innovation is insufficient, this view often stems from the one-sided understanding of Arab culture or the perspective of Western centralism. The following are some key points that illustrate the profound impact of Arab culture on the diversity of the world： ### 1. **The cross-time influence of music** -**The cornerstone of classical music**: Arab music theory (such as Al-Farabi's "Encyclopedia of Music" in the 9th century) provided the foundation for medieval European music theory. The improved Oud qin (Oud) of the Arabs directly evolved into the European Lute qin (Lute), which became the core instrument of Renaissance music. -**Revolution in rhythm and mode**: The unique rhythm cycle of Arab music (such as the Markham tuning system) has influenced Flamenco, Indian ragga and even jazz. For example, the polyphonic rhythm of Moroccan Gnawa music is widely sampled by modern electronic music. ### 2. **The pioneering nature of visual art** -**Scientific geometric aesthetics**: Arab artists combined mathematics and art to develop complex geometric patterns that far surpassed decorative significance. The mosaic craftsmanship of the Alhambra Palace in the 14th century inspired the creation of the “Impossible structure” by the Dutch printmaker Escher. -**Calligraphy as a conceptual art**: Kufa calligraphy is not only text decoration, but also the practice of “text art” in the early days, which directly influenced the use of negative space in minimalist art in the 20th century. ### 3. **The meeting point of modern and contemporary culture** -**New wave of cinema**: Egyptian director Yousef Shayin's socially critical films created Arab neorealism and influenced Iranian director Abbas. The installation art of Lebanese artist Shuruk triggered a global discussion of discrete culture at the Venice Biennale. -**Reshaping in the Digital age**: Saudi artist Ahmed Martel's "Curtain of the Desert" uses AI generation technology to reconstruct Bedouin poetry and was awarded the best digital practice at the Venice Architecture Biennale. ### 4. **Undervalued diversity of genes** -From the Arab-Jewish co-production "Contigas" in Andalusia to the Fann at-Tanbura song and dance of African-Arab fusion in the Gulf region, Arab culture is essentially a product of cross-continental creation. The independent music scene in modern Cairo combines Sufi poetry with electronic music, forming a new global sound. ### 5. **Re-examine the definition of "innovation”** The framework of Western modernity often equates innovation with intermittent change, while Arab culture emphasizes the subtle evolution within the traditional paradigm. This difference should not be interpreted as a lack of creativity, just as Japanese Noh dramas or Indian ragas also reflect another logic of innovation. **The real problem may not be whether Arab culture lacks innovation, but whether the global art evaluation system is diverse enough to recognize the unique definition of “innovation” among different civilizations. ** When we saw the digital archive of Syrian pre-war murals at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, or heard the synth folk songs of the Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi on the Grammy award-winning album, Arab culture was writing a chapter of cultural diversity belonging to the 21st century. Chapter.