Some of the main characteristics of Islamic art include the veneration of the holy text called the Qur’an and the messages from the Prophet Mohammad. This is a significant influencing factor in what drove Muslim artists to produce artwork, although it was not the sole contributing factor. Other characteristics include the dominant geometric shapes used as decorations, called Arabesques. Islamic paintings would often not depict figural elements like humans and animals, and calligraphy was also a large part of Islamic art and seen widely as a decorative reminder of the Islamic faith.