recent years, Beirut has become an important city where singers can fluently sing in various Arabic Dialects. Other regional styles that have enjoyed popular music status throughout the Arab world, including: North Africa Al Jeel (Egypt) Shaabi Music (Egypt) Mawwal (Egypt) Semsemya (Egypt) Andalusian classical music (Morocco and Algeria) and Tunisia Malouf (Libya) Chaabi (Algeria) Chaabi (Morocco) Gnawa (Morocco and the southwest of Algeria) Haqibah Malhun (Morocco) Mezwed (Tunisia) Raï (Algeria) Arabian Peninsula Adani Ardah Ardham Bandari Khaliji Dazah Fann at-Tanbura Fijiri Khabayti Khaliji Khuwizaani Liwa Mizmar M'alayah Rumba Khaliji Samri Sawt Shaabi Khaliji Yanbaawi Yowlah Zafah Khaliji Sacred and Art music Sacred music Arabic religious music includes Jewish (Pizmonim and Baqashot), Christian, and Islamic music. However, Islamic music, including the Tajwid or recitation of Qur'an readings, is structurally equivalent to Arabic secular music, while Christian Arab music has been influenced by Syriac Orthodox, Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Anglican, Coptic, and Maronite church music. Art music Secular art musical genres include maqam al-iraqi, andalusi nubah, muwashshah, Fijiri songs, qasidah, layali, mawwal, taqsim, bashraf, sama'i, tahmilah, dulab, sawt, and liwa. Characteristics of Arabic music Much of Arabic music is characterized by an emphasis on melody and rhythm, as opposed to harmony. There are some genres of Arabic music that are polyphonic, but typically, Arabic music is homophonic. Habib Hassan Touma submits that there are five components that characterize Arabic music: The Arab tone system; that is, a musical tuning system that relies on specific interval structures and was invented by al-Farabi in the 10th century Rhythmic-temporal structures that produce a rich variety of rhythmic patterns, known as awzan or "weight", that are used to accompany metered vocal and instrumental genres, to accent or give them form. A number of musical instruments that are found throughout the Arab world that represent a standardized tone system, are played with generally standardized performance techniques, and display similar details in construction and design. Specific social contexts that produce sub-categories of Arabic music, or musical genres that can be broadly classified as urban (music of the city inhabitants), rural (music of the country inhabitants), or Bedouin (music of the desert inhabitants)..." An Arab musical mentality, "responsible for the esthetic homogeneity of the tonal-spatial and rhythmic-temporal structures throughout the Arab world whether composed or improvised, instrumental or vocal, secular or sacred." Touma describes this musical mentality as being composed of many things. Maqam system The basis of Arabic