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From ancient to contemporary times, Iraq has had a strong artistic tradition. The early stories of Babylon, Assyria and Sumer influenced later writings such as the Bible; the beautiful Sumerian epic Gilgamesh is one of the world's oldest and most famous works. When the Arabs conquered the region in the 7th century, they brought their poetic tradition with them. Best known to Westerners are the folk tales of The Thousand and One Nights, collected sometime between 1000 and 1500 AD. Today, Iraq has a lively artistic community. The Babylon Art Festival, held since 1985 in the restored ruins of the ancient city, has attracted international talent, though participation has been hurt by Iraqi's political situation. Dhu al-Nun (b. 1918) is considered a pioneer of modern Iraqi fiction. His novel Al-Duktur Ibrahim is an Iraqi classic. Other well-known writers are poets Muhammad Mehdi El Jawahiri, Wafaa' Abdul Razak and Lamia Abbas Amara. Poetry is also the traditional literary medium of the Kurds. Kurdish poetry was passed down orally and could be up to 100 verses long. The 17th century epic Mem u Zin is well known. In modern times, Kurdish scholars have written down works and many Kurdish writers have emerged. Modern writers include Mawlawi, Piamerd and Goran, who wrote in the Sorani dialect. Many ancient artworks from Iraq are housed in the Iraqi Museum in Baghdad and elsewhere. Since the Koran forbids the use of human figures in decoration, much Iraqi artwork (as elsewhere in Islamic nations) uses geometric or floral designs. Iraqis are also skilled calligraphers. Verses from the Koran, together with colourful tiles, often decorate mosques and public buildings.
Popular music in Iraq includes folk music such as songs of Bedouin origin, classical Arabic music, Arab-Western fusion and Western pop music. Traditional instruments include the oud, an Arabic lute; the rebaba, a stringed instrument played with a bow; and the def, a type of tambourine. Classical maqam music is well-known internationally. The maqam is a harmonic system like the Western scale; however, instead of notes existing only at half-step intervals, in maqam notes may be at half, whole or quarter intervals. Al Gobanchi and Yousif Omar are well-known maqam players.
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