Dr. Shanti is fascinated by the Islamic architecture because it encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day. This influences greatly the design and construction of buildings and structures in Islamic culture.

A specifically recognizable Islamic architectural style emerged soon after prophet Mohamed time, developing from local adaptations of Egyptian, Byzantine, and Persian models. Geometric artwork in the form of the Arabesques was not widely used in the Middle East or Mediterranean Basin until the golden age of Islam came into full bloom. During this time, ancient texts on Greek and Hellenistic mathematics as well as Indian mathematics were translated into Arabic at the house of wisdom, an academic research institution in Baghdad. Like the later European Renaissance that followed, mathematics, science, literature and history were infused into the Muslim world with great, mostly positive repercussions.

The work of ancient scholars such as Plato, Euclid, Aryabhata and Brahmagupta were widely read among the literate and further advanced in order to solve mathematical problems which arose due to the Islamic requirements of determining the Kiblah and times of prayers and Ramadan. Plato’s ideas about the existence of a separate reality that was perfect in form and function and crystalline in character, Euclidean geometry as expounded on by Al Abbas al Jawaheri, the trigonometry of Aryabhata and Brahmagupta as elaborated on by Mohamed Al Khawarezmi and the development of spherical geometry by Abu al Wafa al Buzjani and spherical Trigonometry by Al Jayyani for determining the Kiblah and times of Salah and Ramadan, all served as an impetus for the art form that was to become the arabesque.

Distinguishing motifs of Islamic architecture have always been ordered repetition, radiating structures, and rhythmic, metric patterns. In this respect, fractal geometry has been a key utility, especially for mosques and palaces.  Other significant features employed as motifs include columns, piers and arches, organized and interwoven with alternating sequences of niches and colonnettes. The role of domes has been considerable.

Moorish architecture is my favorite. The construction of the great mosque at Cordoba beginning in 785 CE marks the beginning of Islamic architecture in the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. Moorish architecture reached its peak with the construction of Alhambra, the magnificent palace of Granada, with its open and breezy interior spaces adorned in red, blue and gold.  The walls are decorated with stylized foliage motifs, Arabic inscriptions, and arabesque design work, with walls covered in glazed tile. Moorish architecture has its roots deeply established during the era of the first Caliphate of the Umayyad in the Levant Circa 660 AD with its capital Damascus having very well preserved examples of fine Arab Islamic design and geometric, including the Carmen, which is the typical Damascene house, opening on the inside with a fountain as the house center piece.

Calligraphy is associated with geometric Islamic art (the Arabesque) on the walls and ceilings of mosques as well as on the page. Contemporary artists in the Islamic world draw on the heritage of calligraphy to use calligraphic inscriptions or abstractions in their work.

Instead of recalling something related to the reality of the spoken word, calligraphy for the Muslim is visible expression of spiritual concepts. Calligraphy has arguably become the most venerated form of the Islamic art because it provides a link between the languages of the Muslims with the religion of Islam.

Among elements of Islamic style are Domes and Cupolas, the use of geometric shapes and repetitive art, the use of muqarnas, a unique Arabic/Islamic space enclosing system, the use of decorative Islamic calligraphy instead of pictures, central fountains used for ablution, the use of bright color if the style is Persian or Indian, Paler sandstone and gray stones are preferred among Arab buildings. And focus on the interior space of a building and the exterior.

Ihsan Shanti was born in 1962 in Casablanca, Morocco from middle class family who migrated from Palestine.  The family background was in Journalism.  “Addefaa” Newspaper was family owned and operated by the Shanti family.  It had the second largest circulation in Palestine and Jordan in the 1950s’.

Ihsans’ father Dr. Fahmi Shanti was educated in Cairo’s’ Alazhar University in early 1950. This University has gained a great reputation in the Islamic world for the Excellency of its graduates.  Dr. Fahmi Shanti later completed his PH.D in Arabic literature.  A degree that landed him a teaching position in Moroccan Universities. Dr. Fahmi Shanti has authored at least dozen of textbooks, some of which were taught in various schools in Morocco.

Ihsans’ mother Darifa Shanti was also highly educated.  She continued her school in Morocco after she gave birth to her five children.  Darifa completed her Masters in Arabic literature and later taught in the University.  Both parents later retired and founded two private schools in Casablanca, Morocco.

Ihsan completed high school in Casablanca, Morocco with distinction; He was offered a government scholarship to study in France, however he chose to complete his education in English language.

He arrived in California in 1981 for his undergraduate degree and to have a taste in the American education. After that he gained a scholarship to join the prestigious King Edward medical college in Lahore, Pakistan under a specially created seat by the late president of Pakistan.

Ihsan excelled in medical school and became very popular among his classmates with whom he still keeps in touch. After his graduation, he returned to the United States of America and specifically to Boston.  He joined Harvard Medical School, department of Neurosurgery, and started research projects mainly Brain tumors research. He then joined Department of Surgery at St Elizabeth Medical center in Ohio and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York to complete a residency program in Anesthesiology.  Dr. Shanti was attracted by the specialty of Pain upon a rotation when he finally decided to join Pain management fellowship program. Dr. Shanti was offered Fellowship training in multiple programs such as Baylor, Houston and Columbia, New York.  Houston was hospitable and finally became home.  Dr. Shanti has also earned his PH.D degree from Southwestern University in Health management.  Management and Administration have always been appealing to him.

Dr. Shanti was appointed and served as a representative of Moroccan Scientists in the U.S and was listed as a scientist of excellence by the Moroccan government.  The purpose was then to export the technology to Morocco thru the expatriates who would act as experts in their fields.

After completing his fellowship in Pain Management, Dr. Shanti joined a private practice that highly specialized in the treatment of complex and chronic Pain. The practice was one of the most reputable in the industry.  Only after few months, Dr. Shanti became the medical director of more than twenty-five health workers.

In 1999, Dr. Shanti was Board certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and in 2000 He was certified in Pain management by the same board.

In 2001, Dr. Shanti founded his own private practice that specialized in Chronic Pain. His practice grew from one employee in 2001 to more than 25 in five years.  The clinic in 2002 was the only private clinic in Houston to register with the World Institute of Pain.

Dr. Shanti served as clinical assistant professor at Baylor College of medicine, department of Anesthesia and staff at Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and research, one of the top institutions in the world in Rehabilitation Medicine.

Dr. Shanti authored numerous research papers and articles that were published in reputable Pain magazines.  He is currently solely authoring a “Textbook of Pain Syndromes”.  The textbook is approximately two thousand pages and still in the phase of writing.

Dr. Shanti was elected “best doctor” in his specialty in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

He was also “commanded” by the American Medical Association in 2007 for excellence in Education.

Dr. Shanti was interviewed and featured many times in local and foreign radio talk shows in the US and television networks such as Al Jazeera and Al Maghribia…

Dr. Shanti takes great interest in Islamic art and architecture.  His passion in this field has prompted him to study and design projects that became masterpieces in the Islamic architecture in the US.  His work of art was brought to light multiple times in Magazines and television networks such as Houston Magazine and Al Jazeera news network. His projects were inaugurated and attended by high-ranking local and foreign officials such as the mayor of Houston and number of ambassadors and foreign dignitaries.

In 2008, Dr. Shanti was asked to be a member of the host committee of “ the art of the Islamic World Initiative” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.  Proceeds from the first ever Treasures of the Islamic World Gala amounted to nearly $3.4 million all of which was matched by the museum’s trustees making possible the acquisition of seven valuable objects for the museum permanent collection. In addition, the museum has been able to create a formal Department of The Arts of The Islamic world and establish a gallery within the museum where the new collection can be displayed.

Dr. Shanti was also invited in 2005 to join the American Moroccan Professionals Association, AMPA. This Association was founded based on the vision that successful Moroccan professionals in the US and beyond can unite to create unprecedented synergy and value.

Dr. Shanti was also one of the founders of the Moroccan Society of Houston in 2005 and acted as one of its advisors, its’ main objectives was to strengthen, understand, coordinate, communicate, enhance, share and succeed in building a stronger Moroccan community.

In 2008, Dr. Shanti founded the Jordanian American Medical Society. The purpose of which is to unite Jordanian doctors and health professionals in the US and to have an impact on the decision making in the health care industry in Jordan.

Dr. Shanti learned to fly airplanes and accumulated hundreds of flying hours.  This was his passion of childhood. Being a pilot gives Dr. Shanti a different perspective of life and additional horizon of challenge and discipline.

Dr. Shanti learned and enjoyed yachting and owned 36 foot Sea ray that unfortunately sunk in the eve of Hurricane Ike that hit the city of Houston in 2008.

The love of traditional and authentic music and art give Dr. Shanti a refuge from the daily routine and responsibilities.

Traveling and spending a great deal of time with his wife Alia and kids has become a priority for Dr. Shanti who want to capture the moment and spend maximum time with his family.  His wife Alia, an attorney from Jordan has joined Master program in Law at the University of Houston in 2008.  She also holds Masters of Liberal Arts from University of Saint Thomas. Dr. Shanti latest dream is to travel and visit along with his family the seven new wonders of the world, some of which he has already visited and others on the waiting list to see.

He finds an extreme enjoyment in attending to his children and watching them grow.  Trying to learn about them, their strength and weaknesses and to navigate thru the above to be able to fill the gap and prescribe them the regimen to their success.  Dr. Shanti wants to see his children achieve what he could not.