The Greek Herodotus and his book The Histories is consider the first historian and one of the earliest works of surviving Greek prose. He was the first to truly investigate the past by gathering various sources. The epic poems of Homer were composed and passed down orally before the advent of the Greek alphabet in the 8th century BCE. Herodotus gives us an intimate portrait of the known world in the 5th century BCE.

Pyramids are closely associated with Mayan civilization. Monuments like Chichen Itza, in modern-day Mexico, serve to highlight the architectural accomplishment of the Mayans and their famous stone, stepped pyramids.

The City of God was written by Augustine of Hippo in the fifth century CE. Ostensibly it was written in defense of Christianity (which many claimed had caused the downfall of the Roman Empire), but in practical terms it is one of the most influential works of Christian theology in history. It explores theological issues like the origin of original sin, the battle between good and evil, and the role of free will in a Christian society.

The Great Library of Alexandria was built in Egypt during the reign of the Ptolemaic dynasty (circa 300 BCE) For a few centuries it was a renowned center of learning and innovation in the classical world.

The writings of Aristotle provided much of the foundation for European scientific understanding throughout the Middle Ages. Medieval scientists were so impressed by Aristotle that they were reluctant to overturn any of his findings, even when the evidence suggested he was wrong. An example of this hidebound thinking is the spider. Aristotle, apparently, wrote that spiders have six legs. This was accepted as scientific fact, even though spiders inarguably have eight legs. This sort of intransigence contributed to the general lack of scientific advancement in Europe throughout the Middle Ages, a situation that would only be remedied with the rise of empiricism during the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution.

Pueblos were houses built by the Anasazi people in the caves, and on the plains, of the American southwest.

The Incan empire is one of the greatest empires to have no written language. They communicated through Quechua, an oral language, and through visual representation. The other societies listed had some form of written language.

Religious iconography was a product of orthodox Christianity, not Islam. The beliefs of Islam prohibit representing the face of Allah or Mohammed, and as a result religious artwork could contain neither image.

Gothic architecture emerged as the antithesis to the dark, heavy style of Romanesque building that preceded it. Gothic style was defined by more delicate stonework meant to incorporate height, air, and natural light. Buildings became taller and more ornate. Detailing became more delicate in an effort to venerate God, and create structures to venerate man's heavenly blessings. 

Traditional architecture for wealthy families in places as diverse as Afghanistan and Morocco included outdoor space inside a large compound, in part, to give women living in purdah a higher quality of life.

Digging out in case of violent siege was not a reason for having these gardens.

Interior gardens were created to hold prisoners.

It is possible to keep cattle in these gardens, but as they were constructed for wealthy clients who probably already had barns for their cattle, and because getting to the interior garden required walking through the house itself, these gardens were specifically created for people's enjoyment.

The Qur'an does not specify this type of architecture as optimum.