islamic art

ISLAMIC ARTI. Intro to Islam The Prophet Mohammed The 5 Pillars of Islam The Kaaba & the Hajj The Mosque

II. Early Period (c. 640-900 C.E.) • From the rightfully guided caliphs who succeeded

Muhammad, through the Umayyads' Dome of the Rock and Great Mosque of Damascus, to the decline of Abbasids rule.

III. Medieval Period (c. 900-1517 C.E.) • The Fatimids (909-1171) ruled north Africa, and parts of Syria

and the Seljuqs contolled eastern Islamic lands and eventually Iran, Iraq and much of Anatolia.

IV. Later Period (c. 1517 –1924 C.E.) • The Ottomans, a small Turkic state in Anatolia, emerged as a

major military and political force and conquered Constantinople, the Balkans, the Near East, and North Africa.

The Taj Mahal, a silk carpet, a Qur‘an; all of these are

examples of Islamic art. But what exactly is Islamic art and

architecture?

Islam, Judaism, & Christianity “Religions of the Book” Monotheistic Share many holy sites (Jerusalem) Share many prophets (Abraham) “Abrahamic faiths”

Great Mosque at Damascus

Islam was founded by Muhammad (c. 570-632 C.E.), a merchant from the city of Mecca, now in modern-day Saudi Arabia.

The Kaaba (in Mecca) is the focus of pilgrimage for Muslims.

Muhammad born in 570 C.E. in Meccac. 610 C.E.: Angel Gabriel visitation“The Prophet”1st convert: wife

Muhammad's divine recitations = the Qu’ran organized into verses (ayat)

621 C.E. VISION: “Night Journey” (w/Angel Gabriel): from Mecca Jerusalem: ascended into heaven @ stone ( Dome of the Rock)

622: HIJRA (A.H., beginning of the Muslim calendar): Mecca Yathrib (Medina)

632: Muhammad died in Medina

AL-MI'RAJ: THE ASCENT TO HEAVEN (on angelic beast named Buraq)

Dome of the Rock,Jerusalem, 691

After Muhammad's Death…Century of military conquest and expansion

After Muhammad's Death…Muhammad succeeded by the 4 “rightly-guided” Caliphs: • Abu Bakr (632-34 C.E.)• Umar (634-44 C.E.)• Uthman (644-56 C.E.): codified the Qu’ran• Ali (656-661 C.E.): married to Fatima (Muhammad’s daughter), murdered 661

Ali’s followers SHI’ITE (Iran, Iraq, Bahrain)

SUNNIS do not agree with Ali’s successionSUNNITE = largest branch of Islam (across North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe)

Ali’s followers SHI’ITE (Iran, Iraq, Bahrain)SUNNITE = largest branch of Islam (across North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe)

Islam means “SUBMISSION TO GOD“

The Kaaba

The Kaaba, pre-Islamic monument, rededicated by Muhammad in 631-32 C.E., multiple renovations, granite masonry, covered with silk curtain and calligraphy in gold and silver-

wrapped thread (Mecca, Saudi Arabia)

Upon arriving in Mecca, pilgrims gather in the courtyard of the Masjid al-Haram around the Kaaba. They then circumambulate—tawaf in Arabic—or walk around the Kaaba, during which they hope to kiss and touch the Black Stone—al-Hajar al-Aswad—embedded in the eastern corner of the Kaaba.

ModificationsThe Kaaba has been modified extensively throughout its history

Today, the Kaaba is a cubical structure, unlike almost any other religious structure.

15 meters tall x 10 ½ meters on each side

Solid gold door added in 1982

The Kaaba at al-Haram Mosque, 2008

Only Muslims may visit the holy cities of Mecca & Medina today.

STORIES OF THE MODERN PILGRIMAGE (YouTube)

ISLAMIC ART QUIZ

1. The FOUNDER of Islam is the Prophet M__________________

2. “ISLAM” means “s_____________” to Allah (God)

WHAT IS ISLAMIC ART?“Islamic Art” = a modern concept (19th cent art historians) used to categorize art by Islamic peoples applies to all art forms (not just religious) produced in the Islamic World encompasses the works created by Muslim artists for a patron of any faith ISLAM is a GLOBAL RELIGION & so is Islamic ART

Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Great Mosque of Xi'an, China

Islamic Art: NOT a monolithic style or movement: spans 1,300 years of history geographic diversity: from Spain to western China

THEMES Calligraphy Geometric and vegetative motifs Decorative arts—carpets,

ceramics, metalwork, and books Early RELIGIOUS/SACRED ART:

“aniconic”

Minarets of Al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo, Egypt

“Allah is the Light” (Quran 24-35)Islamic Calligraphy and Typography

INTRO TO MOSQUE (“MASJID”) ARCHITECTURE

Mimar Sinan, courtyard of the Süleymaniye Mosque, İstanbul, 1558

Mosque/Masjid: Muslim gathering place for prayerMasjid = “place of prostration.”

All men must gather at mosque for the Friday noon prayer

The HOME OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD = the first mosque. LOCATION: Medina, Saudi Arabia FEATURES: typical 7th-century Arabian style house w/ large courtyard

surrounded by long rooms supported by columns. STYLE: “hypostyle” (“many columns”) mosque

THE FIRST MOSQUE (MASJID)

Diagram reconstruction of the Prophet's House, Medina, Saudi Arabia

COMMON FEATURESMosque style, layout, and decoration shaped by regional traditionsBUT common architectural features shared world-wide:

Sahn (courtyard) Mihrab (niche) Qiblah Wall (Mecca) Minbar (pulpit) Minaret (tower) Qubba (dome)

Qibla Wall w/ Mihrab & minbarMosque of Sultan Hassan, Cairo

1356-63

MihrabGreat Mosque of Cordoba

c. 786

3 TYPES OF MOSQUES (ARCHITECTURE)1. THE HYPOSTYLE MOSQUELarge, rectangular with hypostyle (supported by columns) hall &large inner sahn (courtyard)

Diagram reconstruction of the Prophet's House Sahn and minaret, Great Mosque of Kairouan, Tunisia, c. 836-75Medina, Saudi Arabia

2. THE 4-IWAN MOSQUEIWAN = a vaulted space that opens on one side to a courtyard

Plan of the Great Mosque of Isfahan, Iran, showing iwans opening onto the sahn (court)

3. THE CENTRALLY-PLANNED MOSQUEOttoman Empire (influenced by Hagia Sophia church)

Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus, Hagia Sophia, 537, Istanbul

Mimar Sinan, Dome interior, Selimiye II Mosque in Edirne, Turkey, 1568-74

MOSQUE ARCHITECTURE AROUND THE WORLD

Minaret, Bahasa Indonesia: Masjid Menara Kudus Jawa Tengah, Indonesia, 1549

Djingarey Berre Mosque, Timbuktu, Mali, 1327

Great Mosque of Xi'an, China, 1392Shah Faisal Masjid, Islamabad, 1986

II. EARLY PERIODFrom the rightfully guided caliphs who succeeded Muhammad, through the Umayyads' Dome of the Rock and Great Mosque of Damascus, to the decline of Abbasids rule.

THE HISTORICAL CALIPHATES: The states ruled by those who claimed legitimate Islamic rule; Islamic DYNASTIES

UMAYYAD (661-750) Four leaders, known as the Rightly Guided Caliphs, continued the spread of

Islam immediately following the death of the Prophet.

ABBASID (750-1258)The Abbasid revolution in the mid-eighth century ended the Umayyad dynasty, resulted in the massacre of the Umayyad caliphs (a single caliph escaped to Spain, prolonging Umayyad work after dynasty) and established the Abbasid dynasty in 750. The new caliphate shifted its attention eastward and established cultural and commercial capitals at Baghdad and Samarra.

Bowl, 9th century, Susa, Iran, Earthenware, metal lustre

overglaze decoration, opaque glaze

THE DOME OF THE ROCK IN JERUSALEM:Incorporates Coptic, Sassanian, and Byzantine elements in its decorative program and remains a masterpiece of Islamic architecture to this day.

Dome of the Rock, 687, Jerusalem

Base of the dome, Dome of the Rock

The Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra), Umayyad, stone masonry, wooden roof, decorated with glazed ceramic tile, mosaics, and gilt aluminum and bronze dome, 691-2, with multiple renovations, patron the Caliph Abd al-Malik, Jerusalem

DOME OF THE ROCK = one of the OLDEST surviving buildings from the Islamic world

The Rock in the Dome of the RockAt the center of the Dome of the Rock sits a large rock, which is believed to be the location where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son Ismail (Isaac in the Judeo/Christian tradition). Today, Muslims believe that the Rock commemorates the night journey of Muhammad. One night the Angel Gabriel came to Muhammad while he slept near the Kaaba in Mecca and took him to al-Masjid al-Aqsa (the farthest mosque) in Jerusalem. From the Rock, Muhammad journeyed to heaven, where he met other prophets, such as Moses and Christ, witnessed paradise and hell and finally saw God enthroned and circumambulated by angels. Sectional axonometric view through dome

MosaicsThe mosaics in the Dome of the Rock contain no human figures or animals. While Islam does not prohibit the use of figurative art per se, in religious buildings, this proscription was upheld.

The second commandment reads as follows: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God…

Mosaic detail from the Dome of the Rock

InscriptionsThe Dome of the Rock also contains an inscription, 240 meters long, that includes some of the earliest surviving examples of verses from the Qur‘an – in an architectural context or otherwise. The bismillah (in the name of God, the merciful and compassionate), the phrase that starts each verse of the Qu’ran, and the shahada, the Islamic confession of faith, which states that there is only one God and Muhammad is his prophet, are also included in the inscription. The inscription also refers to Mary and Christ and proclaim that Christ was not divine but a prophet. Thus the inscription also proclaims some of the core values of the newly formed religion of Islam.

3. The Dome of the Rock is one of the earliest surviving buildings from the Islamic world. (T or F ???)

The Great Mosque of Cordoba

Great Mosque of Cordoba from the Air

One of the oldest structures still standing from the time Muslims ruled Al-Andalus (Muslim Iberia including most of Spain, Portugal, and a small section of Southern France) in the late 8th century.

The Hypostyle Hall

Hypostyle Hall, Great Mosque at Cordoba, Spain, begun 786 and enlarged during the 9th and 10th centuries

The MihrabThe focal point in the prayer hall is the famous horseshoe arched mihrab or prayer niche. A MIHRAB is used in a mosque to identify the wall that faces Mecca—the birth place of Islam in what is now Saudi Arabia.

The Dome

Great Mosque of Cordoba is a prime example of the Muslim world's ability to brilliantly develop architectural styles

based on pre-existing regional traditions.

The Great Mosque of Kairouan (AFRICA)

Sahn (courtyard) and minaret, Great Mosque of Kairouan, Tunisia c. 836-75

In 670 CE, conquering general Sidi Okba constructed a Friday Mosque (masjid-i jami` or jami`) in what was becoming Kairouan in modern day Tunisia. A Friday Mosque is used for communal prayers on the Muslim holy day, Friday.

The Aghlabids

During the eighth century, Sidi Okba’s mosque was rebuilt at least twice as Kairouan prospered. However, the mosque we see today is essentially ninth century. The Aghlabids (800-909 C.E.) were the semi-independent rulers of much of North Africa. In 836, Prince Ziyadat Allah I tore down most of the earlier mudbrick structure and rebuilt it in more permanent stone, brick, and wood. The prayer hall or sanctuary is supported by rows of columns and there is an open courtyard, that are characteristic of a hypostyle plan.

In the late 9th century, another Aghlabid ruler embellished the courtyard entrance to the prayer space and added a dome over the central arches

and portal. The dome emphasizes the placement of the mihrab, or prayer niche (below), which is on the

same central axis and also under a cupola to signify its importance.

The small windows in the drum of the dome above the mihrab space let natural light into what was an otherwise dim interior. Rays fall

around the most significant area of the mosque, the mihrab.

Mihrab (left) and minbar (right), Interior view of the dome, Great Mosque of Kairouan

Around the mihrab are lustre tiles from Iraq. They also feature stylized floral patterns like Byzantine and eastern Islamic examples.

Interior view of the hypostyle prayer hall in the Great Mosque of Kairouan)

Prayer Hall, Great Mosque of Kairouan

Since it was used for Friday prayer, the mosque has a ninth-century MINBAR, a narrow wooden pulpit where the weekly sermon was delivered.

• The massive square Kairouan minaret is about thirty two meters tall, over one hundred feet, making it one of the highest structures around.

• So in addition to functioning as a place to call for prayer, the minaret identifies the mosque’s presence and location in the city while helping to define the city’s religious identity.

• As it was placed just off the mihrab axis, it also affirmed the mihrab’s importance.

Minaret, Great Mosque of Kairouan

The mosque continued to be modified after the Aghlabids, showing that it remained religiously and socially significant even as Kairouan fell into decline.

A Zirid, al-Mu‘izz ibn Badis (ruled 1016-62 CE), commissioned a wooden MAQSURA, an enclosed space within a mosque that was reserved for the ruler and his associates.

The maqsura is assembled from cutwork wooden screens topped with bands of carved abstracted vegetal motifs set into geometric frames, kufic-style script inscriptions, and merlons, which look like the crenellations a top a fortress wall. Maqsuras are said to indicate political instability in a society. They remove a ruler from the rest of the worshippers.

So, the enclosure, along with its inscription, protected the lives and affirmed the status of persons allowed inside.

An Intellectual CenterThe Great Mosque was literally and figuratively at the center of Kairouan activity, growth, and prestige.

Exterior of the Qibla Wall, Great Mosque of Kairouan

Kairouan (from UNESCO)

4. The MIHRAB is a niche in the QIBLAH WALL, which faces towards M_____________.

III. MEDIEVAL PERIOD (c. 900-1517) The Fatimids (909-1171) ruled north Africa, and parts of Syria and the Seljuqs contolled eastern Islamic lands and eventually Iran, Iraq and much of Anatolia.

For many, the Muslim world in the medieval period (900-1300) means the crusades.

While this era was marked, in part, by military struggle, it is also overwhelmingly a period of peaceable exchanges of goods and ideas between West and East.

Both the Christian and Islamic civilizations underwent great transformations and internal struggles during these years.

In the Islamic world, dynasties fractured and began to develop distinctive styles of art.

The wealth of the Fatimid court led to a general bourgeoning of the craft trade even outside of the religious context.

Centers near Cairo became well known for ceramics, glass, metal, wood, and especially for lucrative textile production. The style of ornament developed as well, and artisans began to experiment with different forms of abstracted vegetal ornament and human figures.

This period is often called the Islamic Renaissance, for its booming trade in decorative objects as well as the

high quality of its artwork.

Saljuq (1040-1157/1081-1307)

The Saljuq Empire in 1092

The Saljuqs of Iran were great supporters of

education and the arts and they founded a

number of important MADRASAS (schools) during their brief reign.

The congregational mosques they erected

began using a 4-IWAN PLAN: these

incorporate four immense doorways

(iwans) in the center of each wall of a courtyard.

Plan of the Great Mosque of Isfahan, Iran, showing iwans opening onto the sahn (court

The inhabitants of this newly conquered land in Anatolia included members of various religions (largely Buddhists and Shamen), other heritages, and the

Byzantine and Armenian Christian traditions.

Mihrab (prayer niche), c. 1270, Konya, Turkey

Saljuq projects often drew from these existing indigenous traditions—just as

had been the case with the earliest Islamic buildings.

Mamluk (1250-1517)“Mamluk” means ‘owned’ in Arabic.

Refers to the Turkic slaves who served as soldiers for the Ayyubid sultanate before revolting and rising to power.

The Mamluks ruled over key lands in the Middle East, including Mecca and Medina.

Their capital at Cairo became the artistic and economic center of the Islamic world at this time.

Mosque lamp, Syria, 13th-14th century

The Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh) of Isfahan

Courtyard, The Great Mosque or Masjid-e Jameh of Isfahan

The Great Mosque of Isfahan in Iran is THE SUM OF BUILDING AND DECORATING ACTIVITIES FROM THE 8TH THE 20TH CENTURIES. It is an ARCHITECTURAL DOCUMENTARY, visually embodying the political

exigencies and aesthetic tastes of the great Islamic empires of Persia.

Urban integration (in center of the old city)

Linking the four iwans at the center is a large courtyard open to the air, which provides a tranquil space from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Aerial photographs of the building provide an interesting view; the mosque’s roof has the appearance of “bubble wrap” formed through the panoply of

unusual but charming domes crowning its hypostyle interior.

View of the south iwan from the prayer hall

The MUQARNAS (Arabic: مقرنص; Persian: مقرنس) are a form of architectural ornamented vaulting, the "geometric subdivision of a squinch, or cupola, or corbel, into a large number of miniature squinches, producing a sort of cellular structure", sometimes also called "HONEYCOMB" VAULTS from their resemblance to these.

Interior decoration of the QIBLA dome

5. The Great Mosque of Isfahan is unique because it was made during a single building campaign and not over a long period of time. T or F ???

The Qur'an: From Recitation Book

Qu'ran fragment, in Arabic, before 911, vellum, MS M. 712, fols 19v-20r, 23 x 32 cm, possibly Iraq

The Qur'an is the sacred text of Islam, consisting of the divine revelation to the Prophet Muhammad in ARABIC.

Qur'an fragment (detail), in Arabic, before 911, vellum, MS M.712, fols. 19v–20r, 23 x 32 cm, Iraq

Because figural imagery such as human or animal forms was considered inappropriate for the ornamentation of sacred monuments and objects, artists relied on vegetal and geometric motifs when they decorated mosques and sacred manuscripts.

The main text is written in brown ink. Arabic, the language of the

divine word of Islam, is read from right to left.

The text of each sura (chapter) is further divided into verses by triangles made up of 5 gold circles

located at the end of each verse.

The art of producing a MUSHAF (bound text) began well before pen dips into ink.

The dimensions of each page were calculated before the parchment was cut, and the text was carefully situated relative to the edges of the pages.

Each page of costly parchment (or vellum) in this Qur'an is larger than a standard sheet of printer paper, and contains only nine lines of calligraphy.

These materials suggest both the dignity of the sacred text and the wealth of its patron, who was probably a member of the aristocratic elite.

PLANNING THE PROPORTIONS OF THE PAGE

Diagram of proportions, Single folio, Qur'an fragment, in Arabic, before 911, Iraq

Each line was further divided into a set number of “interlines,” which were used to determine the heights of various parts of individual letters.

There is no ruling on the parchment, so scribes probably placed each sheet of the semi-transparent parchment on a board marked with horizontal guidelines as they wrote.

Memorizing and producing the proportions of each pen stroke, however, must have been part of the training of every scribe.

Interlines, Single folio, Qur'an fragment (detail), in Arabic, before 911, vellum, 23 x 32 cm

Kufic Script and the Specialization of ScribesThe calligraphic style used by early scribes of the Qur'an is known today as KUFIC.

Kufic is a family of 17 related styles based on common principles, including a preference for strokes of relatively uniform thickness, short straight vertical

lines and long horizontal lines, and a straight, horizontal baseline.

Scribes used a wide reed pen dipped in ink to write. In some letters the angle of the pen was adjusted as the scribe wrote in order to maintain an even

thickness throughout the entire letterform, but in others the angle could be held constant in order to produce both very thick and very thin lines.

Although letters and even entire words at first appear to consist of a single stroke of the pen, in fact individual letters were often formed using multiple strokes.

Qur'an fragment (detail), in Arabic, before 911, vellum, 23 x 32 cm

They could emphasize individual words and balance the widths of lines of different length by elongating certain letters horizontally (a technique known as MASHQ).

They could also ADJUST SPACING BETWEEN WORDS AND LETTERS, and even split words between two lines, in order to balance positive and negative space across the page.

Scribes also had some freedom in composing a page…

Graphic showing negative space, Qu'ran fragment (detail)

In this mushaf, the spaces between non-connecting characters within a word are as wide as the spaces that separate different

words (sometimes even wider!)

6. The Qur'an is the sacred text of Islam, consisting of the divine revelation to the Prophet Muhammad in WHAT LANGUAGE?

PYXIS OF AL-MUGHIRAA PYXIS is a cylindrical box used for cosmetics.

Pyxis of al-Mughira, possibly from Madinat al-Zahra, AH 357/ 968 CE, carved ivory with traces of jade, 16cm x 11.8 cm (Musée du Louvre, Paris)

Now, imagine a room in a palace where this beautifully carved ivory container is given a central place. The luxurious box sits open.

Inside are small silver containers of perfume, also left open so that their sweet-smelling aromas could waft through the room, gently scenting the air.

The Pyxis of al-Mughira is decorated with four eight-lobed

medallions which are surrounded by figures and animals that include falconers, wrestlers,

griffons, peacocks, birds, goats and animals to be hunted. Each

medallion has princely iconography.

This medallion shows two men collecting eggs from the nests of Falcons, a symbol of Umayyad

legitimacy.

This medallion centers around a lute player flanked by two figures, one of whom holds the braided scepter and flask of the Umayyads, while the other

holds a fan.

Another medallion shows lions attacking two bulls. As in Arabic poetry, these lions symbolize the victorious (in this case, perhaps the Umayyads).

The final scene shows men on horseback date-picking. The date-palm, found primarily in the Middle East and North Africa, may allude to the lost lands of

the East (the lands under Abbasid control). This too was a theme of Umayyad poetry. The use of visual imagery which is also found in the poetry of the era

demonstrates that these two art forms were in communication.

An Arabic inscription in the kufic script runs around the base of the lid and reads: “God's blessing, favours, joy, beatitude to al-Mughira son of the Commander of the faithful, may God have mercy upon him, in the year 357.”

Some inscriptions on other ivory carvings also mention the name of the workshop and craftsman who made these exceptional pieces.

7. A PYXIS is a cylindrical box used for: A) cosmetics B) jewelry C) relics D) holy water

Dado Panel:Courtyard of the Royal Palace of Mas’ud III

Dado Panel from the Courtyard of the Royal Palace of Mas'ud III of Ghazni (AFGHANISTAN) , 1112 C.E., marble, 28 1/8 x 12 13/16 x 3 1/2 inches(Brooklyn Museum of Art)

DADO PANEL = decorative 2-3 ft foot lower part of a wall

From the Ghaznavid dynasty: ruled the India 977-1186

The Ghaznavids: Turkish Preferred fusion of Iranian and Arab stylistic influences, Persian art & poetry

Capital Ghazni: on trade route regional influences

Minaret constructed near Royal Palace of Mas'ud III of Ghazni, 12th century, Afghanistan

The Ghaznavids used a large amount of marble throughout the city, during a time where brick and stucco were favored for décor purposes.

The influence of the city of Baghdad, which was also built up heavily with marble by the Abbasids possibly explains the popularity of the medium at this time.

Ghazni has only recently attracted scholars with the discovery of a great-stylized minaret, also dating to Mas’ud III’s reign.

PERSIAN POETRY

Dado Panel with inscription in upper left corner, 10th century, Iran, stucco; carved, with some cast plaster

elements, 68 5/8 in. x 92 3/4 inches

Fragment of a Persian poem praising the Ghaznavid rulers.

This dado is one of the oldest uses of Persian in place of Arabic

TWO ROYAL FIGURES (Saljuq Period)

CORONATION MANTLE

The ALHAMBRA (Granada, Spain)

Distinct among Medieval palaces for:• sophisticated planning• complex decorative programs• Numerous gardens & fountains• Intimate spaces on human scale: elegant, inviting

The Alhambra (Arabic: Qal’at al-Hamra + “red fort”) built by the Nasrid Dynasty (1232-1492, last Muslims to rule in Spain

Plan of the Alhambra1 mile of walls w/ 4 gates &

30 towers enclose 26 acres

City within a city

Structures with 3 purposes:1) ROYAL RESIDENCE 2) The ALCAZABA (the

citadel/barracks for elite guard

3) The MEDINA (or city), near the Puerta del Vino (Wine Gate), where court officials lived and worked

3 IMPORTANT 14th-century PALACES 1) Comares Palace2) Palace of the Lions3) Partal Palace

Tilework, El Mexua

El Mexuar: audience chamber near the COMARES tower at the northern edge of the complexBuilt as a throne room, but became a reception and meeting hall in the 1330sgeometric tile dadoes & carved stucco panels appropriate formality for receiving dignitaries

The COMARES PALACE

The façade is built on a raised three-stepped platform: stage for the ruler. The carved stucco façade was once painted in brilliant colors

Comares Palace facade

Court of the Myrtles: focal point of the Comares Palace

The Alhambra’s largest tower, the COMARES TOWER, contains the Salón de Comares (Hall of the Ambassadors), a throne room built by Yusuf I (1333-1354).

This room exhibits the most diverse decorative and architectural arts in the whole Alhambra

complex.

PALACE OF THE LIONSStands next to the Comares Palace

but should be considered an independent building. The two

structures were connected after Granada fell to the Christians.

Arched covered patio encircles the courtyard and displays fine stucco

carvings held up by a series of slender columns

Famed 14th century FOUNTAIN with a complex hydraulic system consisting of a marble basin on the backs of twelve

carved stone lions situated at the intersection of two water channels that

form a cross in the rectilinear courtyard

The MUQARNAS CHAMBER functioned as an antechamber near the original entrance to the palace:

Named for the intricately carved system of brackets called "muqarnas" that hold up the vaulted ceiling

Across the courtyard, to the East, is THE HALL OF THE KINGS, an elongated space divided into sections using a series of arches leading up to a vaulted muqarnas ceiling:

The room has multiple alcoves, some with an unobstructed view of the courtyard, but with no known function.

This room contains PAINTINGS ON THE CEILING REPRESENTING COURTLY LIFE. The images were

first painted on tanned sheepskins, in the tradition of miniature painting. They use brilliant colors and fine

details and are attached to the ceiling rather than painted on it.

GENERALIFE(located outside Alhambra)

Court of the Long Pond, Generalife

Generalife (from the Arabic, Jannat al-arifa).

The word jannat means paradise and by association,

garden, or a place of cultivation which Generalife

has in abundance.

Its water channels, fountains and greenery can be understood in

relation to passage 2:25 in the Koran, “...gardens,

underneath which running waters flow....”

INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR RE-IMAGINED

Gardens, water fountains, canals, & pools = recurring theme in Muslim architecture

Water: both practical & beautiful in architecture (cf the Alhambra & Generalife)

The Nasrid rulers of Granada made the sound, sight and cooling qualities of water INTEGRAL: in gardens, courtyards, marble canals, and even directly indoors!

Patio de la Sultana fountain Generalife

Central fountain, lower gardens of the Generalife

The Alhambra’s architecture shares many characteristics with other examples of Islamic architecture, but is singular in the way it complicates the relationship between interior and exterior.

Its buildings feature shaded patios and covered walkways that pass from well-lit interior spaces onto shaded courtyards and sun-filled gardens all enlivened by the reflection of

water and intricately carved stucco decoration.

More profoundly however, this is a place to reflect. Given the beauty, care and detail found at the Alhambra, it is tempting to imagine that the Nasrids planned to remain here forever…

It is IRONIC then to see throughout the complex in the carved stucco, the words, “...no conqueror, but God” left by those that had once conquered Granada, and would themselves be conquered.

It is a testament to the Alhambra that the Catholic monarchs who besieged and ultimately took the city left this complex largely intact.

8. The Nasrid rulers of Granada made the sound, sight and cooling qualities of ___________ (element) INTEGRAL: in gardens, courtyards, marble canals, and even directly indoors!

BASIN (Baptistère de Saint Louis)

ILKHANID MIHRAB

IV. LATER PERIOD (c. 1517 –1924 C.E.) The Ottomans, a small Turkic state in Anatolia, emerged as a major military and political force and conquered Constantinople, the Balkans, the Near East, and North Africa.

OTTOMAN (1300-1924)

At its earliest stages, the Ottoman state was little more than a group formed as a result of the dissolution of the Anatolian Seljuq sultanate. However, in 1453, the Ottomans captured the great Byzantine capital, Constantinople, and in 1517, they defeated the Mamluks and took control of the most significant state in the Islamic world.

Mimar Sinan, Süleymaniye Mosque built for the Sultan Süleyman the Lawgiver, 1558, Istanbul

OTTOMAN'S “GOLDEN AGE”The height of the Ottoman Empire's

cultural and economic prosperity was

achieved during SÜLEYMAN THE

MAGNIFICENT'S REIGN (1520-1566)

Tughra (Official Signature) of Sultan Süleiman

SINAN, SÜLEYMANIYE MOSQUE

OTTOMAN GOLDEN AGE: CERAMIC TILESIZNIK TILES, named for the city in Anatolia where they were produced, developed a trademark style of curling vines and flowers rendered in beautiful shades of blue and turquoise (inspired by imported CHINESE porcelain)

Iznik tiles in Sinan, Rüstem Pasha Mosque, 1561-63 (Istanbul)

The architecture of the period, both sacred and secular,

incorporates the DECORATIVE ARTS, from the dazzling blue

tiles and monumental calligraphy that adorn the walls of TOPKAPI PALACE (begun 1459) to the carpets that line the floors of the SÜLEYMANIYE MOSQUE

(1550-1558). Topkapi palace interior, Istanbul Turkey

Süleymaniye Carpet. Süleymaniye Mosque

OTTOMAN MOSQUE ARCHITECTURE

Byzantine influence heavy use of domes and

towering minarets.

The Byzantine influence draws primarily from Hagia Sophia (Istanbul)

Suleymaniye and Sultanahmet Mosques, Istanbul

MOSQUE ARCHITECTURE AROUND THE WORLD

Minaret, Bahasa Indonesia: Masjid Menara Kudus Jawa Tengah, Indonesia, 1549

Djingarey Berre Mosque, Timbuktu, Mali, 1327

Great Mosque of Xi'an, China, 1392Shah Faisal Masjid, Islamabad, 1986

Timurid Empire (1369-1502) Named for its founder, TAMERLANE (ruled 1370-1405), aka “Timur the Lame” Descendent of Genghis Khan

Timur’s Capital City: SAMARKAND: The “Pearl of the World”

Situated at a major crossroads of the Silk Road Attracted artisans and craftspeople from distinct artistic traditions

Registan, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 15th-17th centuries

Timurid cities: Lavish buildings w/ tall, bulbous domes Fine ceramic tiles Overwhelming use of blues and golds

Safavid (1502-1736)The Safavids, a group with roots in the Sufic tradition (a mystical branch of Islam), came to power in Persia, modern-day Iran and Azerbaijan

In 1501 the Safavid rulers declared Shi’a Islam as its state religion

The art of MANUSCRIPT ILLUMINATION highly prized

Trade in CARPETS was also important, and even today, people understand the appeal of Persian carpets. These large-scale, high-quality pieces were created as luxurious furnishings for royal courts.

Most famous: the ARDABIL CARPETS (1539-1540) Pair - nearly identical - perfectly symmetrical – enormous

Every inch of space filled with flowers, scrolling vines, and medallions

MUGHAL (1526-1858)Though Islam had been introduced in India centuries before, the MUGHALS were responsible for some of the greatest works of art produced in the canons of both Indian and Islamic art. Empire established by BABUR (a Timurid prince)

Mughals unique architectural style: Scalloped arches & stylized floral designs in white marble

The most famous example is the TAJ MAHAL, constructed by SHAH JAHAN from 1632-1653 (Agra India):

SHAH JAHAN (“KING OF THE WORLD”)Ruled from 1627-1658

Great patron of the arts

Most beloved wife: MUMTAZ

Shah Jahan (1592-1666)

“MUMTAZ MAHAL”“Beloved Ornament of the Palace”

Mumtaz DIED IN CHILDBIRTH, giving birth to the Shah’s son, AURANGZEB.Made the Shah Jahan promise to build a monument to their love.

The TAJ MAHAL…Took 20,000 workers 20 years to build.

Is covered with white marble veneer

Is a glorious “MAUSOLEUM.”“MAUSOLEUM”: an architectural tomb

TAJ GARDEN COMPLEX

Islamic “Paradise Gardens”: Heaven on Earth

DETAILS OF THE TAJ MAHAL

Inlaid passages from the QU’ARAN

“Pietra Dura” (inlaid “hard stone”)

Pietra Dura TECHNIQUE

INSIDE THE MAUSOLEUM

“JALI” =carved marble screens

SHAH JAHAN’S DREAM

Shah Jahan’s“Moonlight Garden”

The “Real” Black Taj?

Foiled by AURANGZEB

Red Fort at Agra

View of Taj Mahal from Red Fort

9. The TAJ MAHAL is a _________

a) PALACEb) MOSQUEc) MAUSOLEUM

OTTOMAN DECORATIVE ARTS

CARPETS were also made in the royal courts of the Islamic world. Not just functional floor coverings, they

were ornate works of art that indicated the status and wealth of their owners.

Court carpets were used on the floors in reception halls, audience chambers, and at court-supported religious institutions.

They were also presented as impressive gifts to other rulers.

CARPETS

Carpet (Ottoman) with cintamani motif, c. 1550, Cairo, Egypt, wool, 79 x 48 inches (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Ottoman miniature showing a Safavid dignitary before Ottoman sultan, Sultan Murad III, n.d.

Prayer Carpet (Ottoman), 1575-90, likely Istanbul, silk (warp and weft), wool (pile), cotton (pile), 68 x 50 inches

Medallion Carpet, THE ARDABIL CARPET, Unknown artist (Maqsud Kashani is named on the carpet's inscription), Persian: Safavid Dynasty, silk warps and wefts with wool pile (25 million knots, 340 per sq. inch), 1539-40

Ardabil Carpet (detail)

CARPET DESIGN & PATTERNThe rich geometric patterns, vegetative scrolls, floral flourishes, so typical of

Islamic art, reach a fever pitch in this remarkable carpet, encouraging the viewer to walk around and around, trying to absorb every detail of design

CARPETS are among the most fundamental of Islamic arts. Portable, typically made of silk and wools, carpets were traded and sold across the Islamic lands and beyond its boundaries to

Europe and China.

The Ardabil Carpet at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

AN INSCRIPTION The ARDABIL CARPET includes a four-line inscription placed at one end. This short poem is vital for understanding who commissioned the carpet and the date of the carpet.

The first three lines of poetry reads: Except for thy threshold, there is no refuge for me in all the world.

Except for this door there is no resting-place for my head. The work of the slave of the portal, Maqsud Kashani.

Bichitr, Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings from the "St. Petersburg Album," 1615-1618, opaque watercolor, gold and ink on paper, 18 x 25.3 cm

MINIATURE PAINTINGS

Emperor on a pedestal (detail)

JAHANGIR FAVORS A HOLY MAN OVER KINGSJahangir faces four bearded men of varying ethnicity, who stand in a receiving-line format on a blue carpet embellished with arabesque flower designs and fanciful beast motifs.

Almost on par with the Emperor’s level stands the Sufi Shaikh, who accepts the gifted book, a hint of a smile brightening his face.

By engaging directly only with the Shaikh, Jahangir is making a statement about his spiritual leanings.

Inscriptions in the cartouches on the top and bottom margins of the folio reiterate the fact that the Emperor favors visitation with a holy man over an audience with kings.

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE:

Ottoman Sultan

King James I of England

The artist Bichtir

Jahangir and the Shaikh

Note the stark contrast between Jahangir’s gem-studded wrist bracelets and finger rings and the Shaikh’s bare hands, the distinction between rich and poor, and the pursuit of material and spiritual endeavors.

Beneath Jahangir’s seat, crouching angels write (in Persian): “O Shah, May the Span of Your Life be a Thousand Years,” at the base of a mighty hourglass that makes up the pedestal of Jahangir’s throne.

SPHERICAL HANGING ORNAMENTS (IZNIK)

Süleymaniye Mosque (Ottoman)

Imagine yourself in the vast prayer hall of an Ottoman mosque during the height of its

empire in the 16th century. As you bask in the splendor of the sacred space, you notice

that suspended above your head are hundreds of glowing oil lamps, and attached

to these lamps are lavishly decorated spherical ornaments.

OTTOMAN CERAMICSOttoman pottery made in NAKKASHANES (imperial workshops) was strongly influenced by Chinese porcelain, especially floral Ming porcelain. Comprised of petuntse, a rare mineral found mostly in China, porcelain is white and hard—like glass.

Left: Scrolling lotus flask, Ming dynasty, Jingdezhen, China, 1426-1435 Right: Mosque Lamp, c. 1510, fritware, Iznik, Turkey

Mosque Lamp made for the renovation of the Dome of the Rock, 1549, polychrome glazed pottery, Iznik, Turkey, 38 cm high

Tile with “Saz” leaf design, c. 1545-55, Iznik, Turkey, stone paste, polychrome painted under transparent glaze, 30.2 cm high

IZNIK EWERThis EWER IS A TYPE OF JUG THAT IS SHAPED LIKE A VASE. It was a common utensil used daily for carrying water from the kitchen to the dining area, and for serving family and guests. This particular ewer was made in Iznik, the Ottoman center of ceramic production.

Iznik ewer, 2nd half of the 16th century (Ottoman), fritware, painted in black, cobalt blue, green, red under transparent glaze, 17-7/8 x 15-1/2 inches /

45.4 x 39.4 cm

Similar Iznik ewer, last quarter of 16th century, fritware, underglaze-painted, 8 1/2 x

5 1/4 inches / 21.59 x 13.34 cm

IZNIK EWER (detail), 2nd half of the 16th century (Ottoman), fritware, painted in black, cobalt blue, green, red under transparent glaze, 17-7/8 x 15-1/2 inches / 45.4 x 39.4 cm

IRANIAN METAL BOWLS Have a variety of shapes, decoration themes, and uses during the Safavid period (1501-1736).

This Iranian Divination Bowl with Inscriptions and Zodiac Signs is decorated with unusual themes—a blend of religious, superstitious, and Persian historical motifs. The practice of fāl (divination, or seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means) during the Safavid period was facilitated by the use of divine text but it was also influenced by ancient Greek astrology.

Divination Bowl with Inscriptions and Zodiac Signs, mid 16th century, copper alloy (brass), engraved with repoussé center, 3 3/4 x 8 1/2 x 8 1/2in

LEO THE LION, Divination Bowl w/ Inscriptions & Zodiac Signs

Leo for example is represented by a lion figure

as one might expect, but here with the sun behind it, illustrated as a semi-oval

human face in the background.

This figure resembles the historical Persian symbol of

Širo Xoršid, "the Lion and the Sun," which eventually became

an national emblem and represents, among other

things, the ancient history of Persia.

COINAGE & MONEY

Silver 'Abbasi coin, c. 1624–5, Safavid Dynasty, Baghdad

Unlike Europe, where the image of a monarch would appear on coins and in sculpture in public places, the only portraits of Shah 'Abbas were either produced by non-Iranian artists or

for privately-owned albums.

Calligraphy on coins and buildings was the main method by which he

could display his name and titles to his subjects.

COINS OF FAITH & POWER at the British Museum

10. THE TERM "ISLAMIC ART" refers EXCLUSIVELY to RELIGIOUS art and architecture. T or F

Khusraw Discovers Shirin Bathing, From Pictorial Cycle of Eight Poetic Subjects, mid 18th century, oil on canvas, 91.4 x 88.9 cm, Shiraz, Iran