However, this symbol did not originate with Islam; it was adopted for the first time by the city of Byzantine (which later became Istanbul). While the Ottoman Empire ruled the Muslim world ...

The star and crescent This is sometimes seen at the top of a mosque, and is a commonly known symbol relating to Islam. The five pointed star reflects the Five Pillars of Islam which are central to ...

There are Muslims who reject the crescent as an Islamic symbol. One theory is that it was actually a symbol of the pre-Islamic – and, for that matter, pre-Christian – city of Byzantium ...