Auriane-Desombre-7wonders

My Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Auriane Desombre

As a second-year Honors Humanities student, I am interested in looking at art and architecture through a religious lense. In the first year of

the course, our emphasis was on the development of the depiction of the human body in art, and the shift in focus to religion and how it impacts human art and life is one I find fascinating. During our visits to Mistra, the Byzantine and Christian Museum, and the Museum of Islamic Art, I focused on how religion affected art and daily life. Model of a 15th century dress

This dress and shoe was recreated based on the textiles from the 15th century found in the grave of a noblewoman in Mistra. The dresses of noblewomen, sewn from richly decorated silks on a draw loom, would have two parts: the underdress would be worn with no sleeves and a low décolleté, as seen here. This style of dress reflects the influence of western models. The shoes had symmetrical soles and no distinction between right and left, according to Byzantine tradition. Typical hairstyles included a plait adorned with braids and hairpieces. I thought it was very interesting to see how people dressed, which gives us more insight into their everyday life than does the architecture.

I was initially attracted to this church because of the harmony it strikes with the beauty of its surroundings and the typical yet

unique architecture of the apse. The apse of the Pantanassa Monastery at Mistra, built in 1428, has many of the typical elements of Byzantine architecture. For example, the enclosed brick and rubble masonry with dentils surrounding the windows could be seen in almost every church apse at Mistra. However, this monastery also has a rinceaux design with Fleur de Lys, which is the symbol of the French royal family. The inclusion of these designs in the apse reveals a Frankish influence on Byzantine architecture.

The Church of Perivleptos at Mistra, built in 1310, has an unusual floor plan. Because of its location on an uneven mountain, the apse, which always faces east in a Byzantine church, here angles northeast

instead. The main entrance, which usually is from the west, is here located next to the apse and is carved out of the rock. The stairs on the outside lead to a gallery where women sat during services. I loved the Church of Perivleptos particularly because of its well-preserved frescoes. These frescoes departed from the typical Byzantine style, which traditionally depicted a divine figure against a plain background. The Perivleptos frescoes, however, depict more human scenes. For example, the Nativity depicts Mary lying in a

Pantanassa Monastery

Church of Perivleptos

niche with her baby as other people gather around to see the newborn Christ. Chrystobull of Emperor Andronikos II

I found this manuscript

from the Byzantine

and Christian Museum

particularly interesting

because of the political and cultural advancements it represented. The Chrystobull of Emperor Andronikos II, who ruled from 1282-1328, was issued to confirm and augment certain privileges of the Metropolitan of Monemasia. The illustration at the top of the long manuscript depicts the emperor with a golden background. His signature appears at the bottom of the manuscript. Book of Gospels Manuscript

I found the beauty of the illustrations and script in this manuscript from the Byzantine and Christian museum especially striking. This Book of Gospels manuscript from the 14th-15th century, shows a Western influence through its illustrations, which was initially a Western idea. The use of illustrations and icons separates Christian religious texts from Islamic ones, as Quran writings were not permitted to use drawings, relying on the beautiful calligraphy as an aesthetic factor.

Home of a Wealthy Islamic Family

This reconstruction of a house in the Museum of Islamic Art shows us

what daily life looked like for a wealthy family from the 15th to 18th centuries. From the panel in the back, water would flow down the wall and through pipes to the centre of the room, where there was a fountain. The mats that hang on the back wall were decorative textiles. The windows on both sides of the room had two layers. The carved wooden windows were placed on the outside and covered with colorfully decorated windows to let colored light into the room. The windows were structured in a way that let in air and sunlight while preventing sand from getting into the house. Quran Leaves from Iran or Iraq

I found it fascinating how comparing these two manuscripts from different periods in time could present such a clear picture of how Arabic script evolved. These two manuscripts are Quran leaves from 12th century Iran or Iraq. These were the words of Allah, written down by Mohammad. The writings had no illustrations, as the depiction of icons was not permitted, meaning that the writing itself had to be attractive, and writers were considered to be artists. The calligraphy can be used to determine the age of the document, as evolution of writing is evident through the use of symbols. Here, the Quran leaf on the left is older than the one on the right, as shown by the clearer, more elegant and decorated writing in the right leaf.