Hazam describes the "symptoms" of love in The Dove's Necklace as being almost spell-like. He says that when one listens to his love speak, no matter what she says he will agree with even if he knows it to be wrong. His description of love depicts a state in which both lovers are almost magnetically drawn to together in all senses. Similar statements are made in the poetry, for example "if my soul were filled with anything but you, I would pluck it out, while any membrane [covering it] would be torn away from it by [my] hands"(A3). The speaker wants to rid himself of anything but love for the other person, even if that means removing some of himself.
The type of love that Hazam talks about in these texts seems to boarder on obsession. There is a section in The Dove's Necklace in which Hazam describes a person not being able to eat or speak because the thought of his lover renders him without words. In the poetry the speaker says, "If he should speak, among those who sit in my company, I listen only to the words of that marvelous charmer" (D2). So, while one lover is wordless because of the thought of his love the other can only listen to his/her love. Either way, it seems that the intensity of love that Hazam and the other poets describes is all--consuming for both parties.

Through the early Islamic, Early Medieval and Late Medieval periods, the leadership of the Mediterranean region changed rapidly. Due to the constant political/religious change, many cultural and artistic ideas traveled around North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and parts of Europe. For example, Islamic people took the idea of white Chinese porcelain and painted theirs vibrant colors and luster painted pottery making traveled from Egypt to Iran. As artistic ideas traveled from place to place they developed and become more sophisticated. Another example of cultural exchange is textiles, the English words "cotton" and "mohair" are derived from Arabic.
When the Mongols invaded the Islamic regions they brought Chinese design and influences with them, including illustrated manuscripts. Traditionally Chinese figures, such as dragons and phoenix's appear on Islamic art work produced during the Mongol rule.
Overall, with each invasion and take over of parts of the Islamic world came new artist influences and techniques, which together created the Islamic art form.  

The myths in books 4 and 6 of Metamorphoses explore the role of women in myth. Arachne, Pallas and Philomela all use the art of weaving to communicate in some way. Arachne and Pallas use it to compete, however each weaves a tapestry that tells a story. When Philomela's tounge is cut out and she can no longer speak she weaves the story of her rape so that she can tell her sister what happened. We have discussed the use of "feminine arts" as means of communication and manipulation/power for women and that is true in Metamorphoses as well.
Overall, I would not say that women are portrayed in a positive light in these myths. Salmacis cannot control her lust for Hermaphroditus and she attacks him. Pallas cannot control her anger toward Arachne when she claims that Pallas did not teach her to weave and so she turns her into a spider. Niobe is jealous that people worship Latona and not her and she is punished with the death of her children and husband. Instead of taking revenge against her husband after he raped Philomela, Pronce kills her own son and feeds him to her husband. The women who are portrayed in these myths display a lack of control in love and in anger.

Book 1 of Metamorphoses is very similar to the Genesis stories of creation. In Metamorphoses, matter is described as chaotic before a "god and a greater order of nature" separates the elements and creates the organized world that is familiar to us today. Metamorphoses is more specific than Genesis was, it specifies the different regions of the earth and their climates as well as the winds. Another similarity between the two stories is the cleansing flood. The gods in Metamorphoses and God in Genesis feel that human kind  is a mistake and flood the earth to kill all of the evil that human kind has created. In both stories there are two human survivors who are virtuous in the eyes of the Gods.

Narcissus falls in love with the reflected image of himself. He can never have this other "person" because he is a reflection in the water. Every time Narcissus tries to touch "him" he puts his hand in the water and disturbs the image. This could be the basis for love in all human relationships because in order to love and accept another person one must love them self first. People, generally, look to have relationships with others who share some interests or personality traits and perhaps the story of Narcissus is that idea taken to the extreme.