As you walk around a city, you may notice that architecture and art resemble other works. Many of these designs have changed over history and time, while others have not. The designs that many people still see in society and everyday life come from two of the many cultures of ancient civilizations, Roman and Islamic. The art and architecture forms of Islamic and Roman cultures have many comparisons and contrasts between them. They, the Islamic and Roman nations, both adopted other cultures and made their own discoveries in the world of art and architecture. Roman and Islamic architecture and art vary greatly from each other and yet present varying comparisons between the two. The Romans adopted many features of the Greek style of art and architecture during the third and second centuries BC. During this period, the Romans discovered that they took a liking to Greek statues, which they placed in many different locations. Roman sculptors then decided to also begin creating statues alongside the Greeks. The statues created by the Romans were realistic, sometimes with unpleasant details on the body. The Greeks made statues with, as they believed, an ideal appearance in the figure of the statue. Sculpture was perhaps considered the highest form of art by the Romans, but figure painting was also highly valued. Very few Roman paintings have survived the tests of time. Islamic art and architecture is a mixture of three or more different cultural traditions from the East. The Arabic, Turkish and Persian traditions are three such traditions that have been adopted in the design of Islamic art and architecture. The best expressions of Islamic art and architecture are found in Muslim mosques. The mosque serves as a place where Muslims can gather for Islamic prayer. Mosques are also a center for information, education and dispute resolution. One of the most famous mosques in Islamic art is the Great Mosque of Samarra, from the era of Iraq. The Great Mosque of Samarra also has a spiral staircase outside. The Romans also excelled in the very practical art of architecture. The Romans were the first people of Antiquity to use concrete on a massive scale. Using concrete in their new architectural designs, the Romans were able to construct immense buildings, larger than the Greeks could ever have dreamed of..