Islam ic Art Architecture, Textiles, Mosaics. Carly Snyder, Breanna Poston, Josh Rodriguez, Daniel Situ, Alexander Urman.

Islamic ArtArchitecture, Textiles, Mosaics.

Carly Snyder, Breanna Poston, Josh Rodriguez, Daniel Situ, Alexander Urman

Islamic Background

-Muhammad's religious method (Allah) spread with Arabs 7thC -Koran - sacred book -End of Umayyad Dynasty (750 C.E.) N Africa, Mid E, Spain, India, and Central Asia Islam

-Expanded under Abbasid Caliphate (in Baghdad)

-Mongol Sack of Baghdad 1258-Split into East and West

-East = S. & Cent. Asia, Iran, Turkey-West = Near East, Arabian Peninsula, N. Africa, Italy,

and Spain

Background cont'd-Impact on Byzantine

-Hagia Sophia -> Islamic mosque -Mediterranean: Byzantine rule -> Islamic lake-Ottoman Turks conquer Constantinople - fall Byzantium 1453

-Islam two principal divisions -Shiite - minorities-Sunni - majorities

VocabularyArabesque - a flowing, intricate, and symmetrical pattern

deriving from floral motifsCalligraphy - decorative or beautiful handwritingJali - perforated ornamental stone screens in Islamic ArtKoran - Islamic sacred textMecca - birthplace of Muhammad and the city all Muslims turn to

in prayerMedina - where Muhammad was first accepted as prophet, and

where his tomb is located

VocabularyMihrab - a central niche in a mosque, which indicates the

direction to MeccaMinaret - a tall, slender column used to call people to prayerMosque - Muslim house of worshipMuqarnas - a squinch made up of rows of nichelike faceted

shapesQiblah - the direction toward Mecca which Muslim's face in

prayer (Qiblah wall)Tessellation - decoration using polygonal shapes with no gaps

Islamic Characteristics

• Intellectual, refined and decorative• No strong emotions• Serene harmony• Either hypostyle hall (Córdoba) or unified open

space (Selim II) • Koran does not ban images, but active tradition

to avoid religious imageryo Sometimes imagery on only one side of

building

Ornamentation

• Based on plant motifs, sometimes intermingled with geometric figures and human/animal shapes

• Arabesques form patterns that cover entire surfaces---> horror vacui "fear of empty space"

• Repetitive patterns=divine infinity and indefinability

• Design independent from carrier

Floor Mosaic• Mediterranean tradition• bath at the Palace of Khirbat al Mafjar

o Rich variety of floral and geometric patternso Intricate abstract designso Illusion of a downward projection of the dome

Colored Tile• History in Middle East and Iran• luster ware=metallic sheen• Veneer over brick core• Enhances shape with beautiful conformity• Similar esthetic ideal to tapestry design

Dome of Masjid-i Shah

Stucco Relief • Cheap, flexible and effective• Wet plaster--> works well with freely flowing line• Alhambra palace=best example• Visible representation of ornate Muslim poets• Deny solidity of stone structure • Airy, floating appearance

Textiles

• Among the most prestigious and highly valued objects of Islamic art, textiles did far more than just utilitarian or decorative roles in the household. They were also used for:o Giftso Rewardso Signs of Political Favors

• Muslim weavers adapted the style from earlier Egyptian weavers, and later were adapted to the colder climates within Iran and Anatolia

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Carpet from the Tomb-Mosque of Shah Tahmasp at Ardebil, Iran (1540)

• Large example of the medallion type Textile and has a design filled with many details

• Since it was created for a mosque, the design lacks any image of human or animal figure

• Even though this is early Islamic art, previous bans on human figure still affected the creation of this work

Early Islamic Architecture• Fertile Crescent as the political and cultural

center of the Muslim world• Two prominent dynasties

o Umayyads in Syria (661 - 749), Spain (756 - 1031)

o Abbasids in Iraq (749 - 1258)• Two major architectural forms: The mosque and

the palace

Dome of the Rock

• First major building of the Ummayad dynasty• Neither a mosque nor palace• Houses rock from which Muhammad ascended to

Heaven• Erected on the site of Temple of Solomon

Dome of the Rock, cont'd• Design:

o Domed octagon - similar to San Vitaleo Double shelled wooden domeo Dome dominates elevation - Makes the octagon

function more than just a base

Dome of the Rock, cont'd

• Exterior of the building has been restored o Tilework now replaces the original mosaic

• Vivid colorful patterns on walls - characteristic of islamic ornamentation

• Interior mosaics have been preserved• No distinguishment between decoration outside

and inside.

Muslim Religious Architecture• Religious Architecture often closely related to the

Muslim prayero Obligation to the Qur'an

• Prayer - importance of facing East (Qibla)o Transformation of Prayer into communal act

Importance of the imam, minbar and khutba, which are features that become standard in the Islamic Mosques

o Mihrab becomes standard in Islamic Mosques One theory - to honor where the prophet stood in

his house at Medina

Muslim Religious Architecture, cont'd

• Origin of the Mosqueo One prototype: Prophet's house in Medinao Once well established in their conquered territories,

they began to build on a large scale Visible evidence of their power

Great Mosque at Damascus• Built in 706, in Damascus, Syria• Built on the foundations of a Roman Temple• Courtyard bounded by pier arcades similar to the Roman

Aqueducts• Use of recycled capitals and columns• Roman tower converted to a Minaret - calls the faithful to

prayer • Mosaics -Roman and Byzantine influence

Great Mosque, cont'd• Space is discontinuous• Perspectives are contradictory

o Outside and inside views are given simultaneously

• Representative of the Islamic influence against the representation of fauna in sacred places.

The Mosque at Qairawan• Hypostyle Mosque• Built of stone - walls have square buttresses• Two domes and a Minaret

o Axis is defined by a raised nave flanked by eight columned aisles on either side - space for a large congregation.

• Had the flexibility to be easily enlarged and added to.

Mosque of Córdoba• Begun in 786, and enlarged in the 9th and 10th centuries• Additions followed the original style and pattern of arches

and columns

Mosque of Cordoba, cont'd• One of 4 domes build during the 10th

century to emphasize the mihrab• Large ribs subdivide the surface of the

dome into smaller purely ornamental sections

Early Palaces• Only scattered remains have survived, serving to show the

way of life of Muslim aristocrats• Built in both cities and open country • May have been symbols of conquered territories and newly

acquired wealth

Palace at Ukhaydir (Iraq)• Built in the second half of the 8th century under the

Abbasids• Separate entity within a fortified enclosure• Residential and Official functions• Included fairly elaborate baths - similar to Rome • Decoration seems to be sparse and confined to simply

molded stucco and decorative brickwork

Later Islamic Architecture• 3 Primary forms: Mosque, Madrasa, Mausoleum• Madrasa - a higher theological college adjoining and often

containing a mosqueo Shares with the hypostyle mosque in its open court but

replaced the forests of columns with masses of brick and stone. Now surrounded by four vaulted halls, the one Qibla side

being larger than the others Rooms for education are crowded in the corners created

by the vaults.• Mausoleums - central-plan, domed structures

o Adopted either from Iran - Not originally part of the Islamic Architecture

o Built either as memorials to holy men or for the secular function of celebrating rulers

Taj Mahal at Agra• Built by Shah Jahan, a Muslim ruler in India,

as a memorial to his wife.• Now considered an architectural metaphor

for Paradise and the Throne of God.• Basic form is the Cairo Mausoleum, but

modifications have converted it into a "weightless vision of cream-colored marble."o Elimination of the Cairo structure's heavy, projecting

cornice ties the elements together

• Interplay of shadowy voids gives impression of transparency.

• Carefully placed minarets help stabilize it.

Ottoman Architecture• Late regional style of Islamic Architecture• Ottoman builders developed a new type of mosque

o Square prayer hall covered by a domeo The dome itself, became the center of the Ottoman

Architectureo At first used singly, it began to be used in multiples

Created desire to create a unity of space Resulted in a geometric and formalistic form, rather than

ornamental.

The Selimiye Cami at Edirne

• Built by Sinan the Great for Selim II to commemorate the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus

• Embellished from the spoils of Cyprus

• Structure's dome dominates city's skyline surrounded by four minaretso dome equal in width to Hagia Sophia's

• Dependencies surrounding the mosque and aligned with it

• Avlu placed behind the mosqueo same size as mosque