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Home , Black Stone, Nasrid dynasty (Sistan)

AP AH College Board Presentation

Content Area #7 West and Central Asia 500 B.C.E.- 1980 C.E. Chapter 13- & Some Buddhism • “Islam” = submission to in • Arose in the early 7th century (Muslim calendar begins in the year 620 CE when fled from to - known as the year of the Hijra or flight (in Latin anno hegirae) • “”- God’s name in Arabic • = believers in Islam • ’s political and cultural center was the Fertile Crescent • Muhammad- founder of Islam. Final prophet. Native of Mecca • Koran- Islam’s sacred book • Muslim Heritage Link • Summary Link • Periods of Islam Summary Five Obligations(Pillars) of Islam

• Profession of faith in Allah • Must worship 5 times daily (while facing Mecca’s direction) • Give to the poor • Fast during the month of • Make a pilgrimage to Mecca

The reward for the Muslim faithful is Five Pillars Summary Link Modern Pilgrimage Video Link The . Mecca, . Pre-Islamic monument; redirected by Muhammad in 631- 632 C.E. Multiple renovations • Granite masonry, covered with silk curtain and calligraphy in gold and silver-wrapped thread • Kaaba (cube in Arabic) is a square building elegantly draped in a silk and cotton veil • Holiest in Islam • Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia • The Qur’an established the direction of prayer- towards Mecca and the Kaaba • All Muslims aspired to undertake the (annual pilgrimage) to the Kaaba • Upon arrive in Mecca, pilgrims gather in the courtyard of the Masjid al- around the Kaaba- circumambulate (tawaf in Arabic)- hope to and touch the Black Stone embedded in the eastern corner of the Kaaba • Summary Link The Kaaba. Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Pre-Islamic monument; redirected by Muhammad in 631- 632 C.E. Multiple renovations • The Kaaba was a sanctuary in pre-Islamic times- housed the Black Stone and statues of pagan • Muslims believe that (Ibrahim in the Islamic tradition) and his son, Ismail (), constructed the Kaaba • Tradition holds that it was originally a simple unroofed rectangular structure • The tribe rebuilt the pre-Islamic Kaaba in c. 608 CE with alternating courses of masonry and wood • Muhammad was driven out of Mecca in 620 CE. Upon his return to Mecca in 629/30 CE, the shrine became the focal point for Muslim worship and pilgrimage • Muhammad reportedly cleansed the Kaaba of idols upon his victorious return to Mecca, returning the shrine to the monotheism of Ibrahim The Kaaba. Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Islamic. Pre-Islamic monument; redirected by Muhammad in 631- 632 C.E. Multiple renovations • Black Stone is believed to have been given to Ibrahim by the and is revered by Muslims • Only Muslims may visit the holy cities of Mecca and Medina today • Today, the Kaaba is a cubical structure • 15 meters tall and 10.5 meters on each side- corners roughly align with the cardinal directions • Door is now made of solid gold (added in 1982) • Numerous changes to the Kaaba and its associated - good reminder of how often buildings are renovated and remodeled either due to damage or the changing needs of the community • ARCHNET Link Umayyad. Dome of the Rock. . Islamic. 691- 692 C.E. • Stone masonry and wooden roof decorated with glazed ceramic tile, mosaics, gilt aluminum and bronze dome • Multiple renovations- patron the Caliph Abd al- • One of the most iconic images of the Middle East • Sits atop the Haram al-Sharif (highest point in old Jerusalem)- golden color Dome and Turkish Faience tiles dominate the cityscape of Old Jerusalem • One of the earliest surviving buildings from the Islamic world • Original function and meaning is still debated • One of the first Islamic buildings ever constructed • Built by Abd al-Malik, probably the most important Umayyad caliph, as a religious focal point for his supporters • Summary Link Umayyad. Dome of the Rock. Jerusalem. Islamic. 691- 692 C.E. • Located on the Haram al-Sharif, an enormous open-air platform housing the Al-Aqsa mosque, madrasas, and several other religious buildings • Holy site for , , and Muslims • Temple Mount, site of the Jewish second temple which the Roman Emperor Titus destroyed in 70 C.E.- Roman temple was later built on the site • Rock is believed to be the location where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Ismail (Issac in the Judeo/Christian tradition) • Today, Muslims believe that the Rock commemorates the night journey of Muhammad (journeyed to heaven and met other prophets such as and Christ, witnessed paradise and and finally saw God enthroned) Folio from a Qur’an. Arab, North Africa, or Near East. Abbasid. c. 8th- 9th century C.E. • Qur’an fragment, in Arabic, before 911, vellum • Sacred text of Islam- divine revelation to the Prophet Muhammad in Arabic • Qur’an means recitation • The 114 suras (chapters) of the Qur’an were compiled into a textual format, organized from longest to shortest, only after the death of Muhammad • Arabic, the language of the divine word of Islam, read from right to left • Consonants distinguished by lines or dots • A, U, and I are not normally written in Arabic, however, became standard to include vowels in the Qur’an (marked with red circles) • Summary Link • Morgan Library Link Umayyad, Great Mosque, Cordoba, Spain. Begun c. 785- 786 C.E. • Stone masonry • Known locally as Mezquita-Catedral- 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 • First a Roman temple, then church, then mosque • Prince Abd al-Rahman I escaped to southern Spain after his family (the Umayyads) were overthrown in Damascus • Attempted to recreate the grandeur of Damascus in his new capital, Cordoba • Summary Link Umayyad, Great Mosque, Cordoba, Spain. Begun c. 785- 786 C.E. • Prince Abd al-Rahman I sponsored elaborate building programs, promoted agriculture, imported fruit trees • Building was expanded over two hundred years • Comprised of a large hypostyle (filled with columns) prayer hall, a courtyard with fountain in the middle, an orange grove, covered walkway circling the courtyard, and a minaret (now encased in a squared, tapered bell tower) Umayyad, Great Mosque Detail, Cordoba, Spain. Begun c. 785- 786 C.E. • Above the is a dazzling dome- built of crisscrossing ribs that create pointed arches all lavishly covered with gold mosaic in a radial pattern • Example of the Muslim world’s ability to brilliantly develop architectural styles based on pre-existing regional traditions Umayyad, Great Mosque Arches, Cordoba, Spain. Begun c. 785- 786 C.E. • Expansive prayer hall built with recycled ancient Roman columns- combination of two-tiered, symmetrical arches, formed of stone and red brick- supported a wooden roof • 36 piers and 514 columns • Lower arches- horseshoe shaped, quickly became associated with Muslim architecture (common in the architecture of the Visigoths ruling the area after the fall of the Roman empire and before the Umayyads arrived) Umayyad, Great Mosque Plan, Cordoba, Spain. Begun c. 785- 786 C.E. • Focal point in the prayer hall is the famous horseshoe arched mihrab (prayer niche) • Mihrab used in a mosque to identify the wall that faces Mecca • Mihrab in the Great Mosque of Cordoba is framed by an exquisitely decorated arch behind which is an unusually large space, the size of a small room • Gold tesserae (small pieces of with gold and color backing) create a dazzling combination of dark blues, reddish browns, yellows and golds that form intricate calligraphic bands and vegetal motifs that adorn the arch Umayyad, Pyxis of al-Mughira, 968 C.E. • Ivory • Pyxis- cylindrical box used for cosmetics • Was a gift to 18 year old al-Mughira, son of a caliph (coming of age present?) • 6 inches high • One of the best surviving examples of the royal ivory carving tradition in Islamic Spain (Al-Andalus was the land controlled by Muslims from 711 C.E. to 1492 C.E.) • Ivory was often gifted • Decorated with 4, 8-lobed medallions surrounded by figures and animals • Each medallion has princely iconography • Probably cut from the cross-section of an elephant’s tusk and adorned in highly specific, royal iconography • Traces of inlaid jade • Summary Link • Enclosed in Ivory Article Link Alhambra. Granada, Spain. . 1354- 1391 C.E. • Whitewashed adobe stucco, wood, tile, paint, and gilding • Distinct among Medieval palaces for its sophisticated planning, complex decorative programs, and its many enchanting gardens and fountains • Intimate spaces built at a human scale that visitors find elegant and inviting • Alhambra (red fort), built by the Nasrid Dynasty- the last Muslims to rule in Spain (1232- 1492) • Muhammad ibn Yusuf ibn (Muhammad I) founded the Nasrid Dynasty and secured this region in 1237- began construction of his court complex (the Alhambra) on Sabika hill the following year • Summary Link • Virtual Tour Link Court of the Lions- Alhambra. Granada, Spain. Nasrid Dynasty. 1354- 1391 C.E. • Exquisitely detailed structures with highly ornate interior spaces and patios contrast with the plain walls of the fortress exterior • Three original royal palaces: Comares Palace, Palace of the Lions, and Partal Palace- each built during the 14th century • Large fourth palace later begun by Christian ruler, Carlos V • Muhammad V built the celebrated fountain with a complex hydraulic system with 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 Alhambra- Hall of the Sisters. Granada, Spain. Nasrid Dynasty. 1354- 1391 C.E. • The Sala de las Dos Hermanas (Hall of the Two Sisters) in the Palace of the Lions on the northern end • Intricately carved system of brackets called “muqarnas” that hold up the vaulted ceiling • Residential apartment with rooms on the second floor • Large domed room decorated with carved and painted stucco in muqarnas forms with elaborate and varying star motifs Alhambra Plan. Granada, Spain. Nasrid Dynasty. 1354- 1391 C.E. • 1 mile of walls and thirty towers of varying size enclose the city within a city • Access was restricted to four main gates • 26 acres include structures with three distinct purposes: residence for the ruler and close family, the citadel, Alcazaba- barracks for the elite guard who were responsible for the safety of the complex and an area called medina (or city), near the Puerta del Vino (Wine Gate), where court officials lived and worked • Different parts are connected by paths, gardens, and gates- but each part could be blocked in the event of a threat • Catholic monarchs besieged and took over- left the city complex largely intact Sinan, Mosque of Selim II. Edirne, Turkey, 1568- 1575 C.E. • Brick and stone • Selimiye Complex in Edirne, built by the greatest of all Ottoman architects, Sinan • Elegant stacked domes, reaching to the heavens, and towering, slender pencil minarets characterize Ottoman mosque architecture • Built by Sultan Selim II, son of Suleyman the Magnificent, in Edirne because it was one of Selim II’s favorite cities (rather than the capital, ). Also the first major city that Europeans traveling to the Ottoman Empire reached • Stationed here as a prince when his father campaigned in Persia in 1548 and he enjoyed hunting on the outskirts of the city • Sinan wanted to build a monument that expressed Islam’s triumph over Cyprus (Selim II funded project with the booty taken from the Ottoman campaign against Cyprus- Christian island)- wanted a mosque that surpassed the Hagia Sophia • Summary Link • Virtual Tour Link • Museum with no Frontiers Link Sinan, Mosque of Selim II. Edirne, Turkey, 1568- 1575 C.E. • Dome seems weightless as it floats above the prayer hall (rests of eight muqarnas-corbelled squinches supported by eight large piers) • Muqarnas- faceted decorative forms that alternately protrude and recess- commonly used in Islamic architecture to bridge a point of transition • Squinches allow the round base of the dome to join the octagon formed by the piers • Exterior buttresses(hidden among the exterior porticos and galleries) support the east and west piers • wall projects outward • Sinan completely departed from the screen walls and supporting half-domes he had previously used in his designs Sinan, Mosque of Selim II Plan. Edirne, Turkey, 1568- 1575 C.E. • Huge complex measuring 190 x 130 meters composed of a mosque, two symmetrical square madrasas (one served as a college for studying the , or traditions of the Prophet Muhammad) • Row of shops (arasta) and a school for learning the recitation of the located to the west and added during the reign of Sultan Murad III (ruled following Selim II) • Mimar Sinan was a product of the Devsirme, a practice of the Ottoman authorities (14th-18th century) where young, talented, Christian men were taken from their families to serve in the military or the civil service • Sinan learned engineering and siege warfare before becoming one of history’s great architects Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh). Isfahan, . Islamic, Persian: Seljuk, Il-Khanid, Timurid and Safavid Dynasties. C. 700 C.E. additions and restorations in the 14th, 18th, and 20th centuries C.E. • Stone, brick, wood, plaster, and glazed ceramic tile • Most cities with sizable Muslim populations possess a primary congregational mosque- often expanded in conjunction with the growth and needs of the umma (Muslim community) • Expanded and modified over a 1,000 years • Urban integration- center of the old city, shares wall with other buildings abutting its perimeter • Immense size and numerous entrances formed a pedestrian hub • Qibla iwan from the prayer hall- on the southern side of the courtyard, flanked by two cylindrical minarets (direction to face while praying) • Domed interior was reserved for the use of the ruler and gives access to the main mihrab of the mosque • Summary Link Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh)- Detail. Isfahan, Iran. Islamic, Persian: Seljuk, Il-Khanid, Timurid and Safavid Dynasties. C. 700 C.E. additions and restorations in the 14th, 18th, and 20th centuries C.E. • Under the reign of Malik Shah I (ruled 1072-1092), mosque grew to its current four-iwan design • Considered the prototype for future four-iwan (iwan is a vaulted space that opens on one side to a courtyard) • This vizier’s dome, built in 1088, considered a masterpiece of proportion Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh)- Courtyard. Isfahan, Iran. Islamic, Persian: Seljuk, Il-Khanid, Timurid and Safavid Dynasties. C. 700 C.E. additions and restorations in the 14th, 18th, and 20th centuries C.E. • Domes commissioned by different patrons • Nizam al-Mulk commissioned the qibla dome in 1086 • Nizam fell out of favor with the ruler and his nemesis, Taj al-Mulk, quickly replaced him • New vizier’s dome, built in 1088, smaller but considered masterpiece of proportions • ARCHNET Link Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh)- Mihrab (prayer room). Isfahan, Iran. Islamic, Persian: Seljuk, Il-Khanid, Timurid and Safavid Dynasties. C. 700 C.E. additions and restorations in the 14th, 18th, and 20th centuries C.E. • Earth-colored exterior and complex internal décor • Dome soffits (undersides) crafted in varied geometric designs and often include an oculus (circular opening to the sky) • Creative arrangement of bricks, intricate motifs in stucco, beautiful tile-work harmonize the interior • Hypostyle interior Maqsud of Kashan. The Ardabil Carpet. 1539- 1540 C.E. • Silk and wool (34’6” x 17’ 6”) • Persian, Safavid Dynasty, silk warps and wefts with wool pile (25 million knots, 340 per sq. inch) • One of the world’s oldest, largest, most beautiful, and historically important Islamic carpet • Carpets traded and sold across the Islamic lands and to Europe and China • Carpets decorated the floors of mosques, , homes, and could also be hung on walls of houses • One of a matching pair made for the shrine of Safi al-Din Ardabili (established Shi’a Islam) • V & A Museum Link • Court Carpet Summary Link • Summary Link Muhammad ibn al-Zain, Basin (Baptistere de St. Louis). c. 1320- 1340 C.E. • Brass inlaid with gold and silver • Made in Mamluk Syria or during the first half of the fourteenth century • Produced in Islamic lands- commissioned by the monarchs of Europe (Neoplatonic message with its images) • Lavish, abundantly decorated with figurative scenes with no dedication • Decorative panels, interspersed with roundels, form four scenes arranged in an X-symmetry • Exceptional figurative decoration (emirs’ dress reproduces that decreed by Sultan al-Mansur Qala’un) • Perhaps commissioned by Christians • Entered the collections of the kings of France- served as the “font” for the baptism of Louis XII • Video Link • Summary Link BUDDHISM

• Prince Siddhartha Guatama- THE Buddha, 563 BCE • At 29 he left palace • 6 years later achieved complete enlightenment while meditating under a Pipal tree • Preached first sermon at Sarnath- set in motion the Wheel (chakra) of the Law (dharma) • The Buddha’s path leads to Nirvana (the end of the painful life, death, rebirth cycle) Buddha in Art

1st century BCE- as robed monk Urna- curl of hair between eyebrows (dot) Ushnisha- ceremonial bump on head Palms of hands and soles of feet imprinted with a wheel Elongated earlobes Halo or sundisk behind head Buddha. Bamiyan, . Gandharan. c. 400-800 C.E. (destroyed in 2001) • Cut rock with plaster and polychrome paint- 175 feet high • West Buddha surrounded by caves • Prior to their recent destruction- were considered the largest Buddha sculptures in the world • Known collectively as the Bamiyan Buddhas- two monumental sculptures • Located close to one of the most important branches of the Silk Route (connected the East to the West) • Many of the missionaries and merchants were practitioners of the Buddhist faith- not location specific • Represented the Buddha Vairochana • Summary Link Buddha. Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Gandharan. c. 400-800 C.E. (destroyed in 2001) • Carved on the Eastern side of the cliffs- depicted the Buddha Shakyamuni • 120 feet in height • Areas near the heads and the feet were carved in the round- allowing worshippers to circumambulate (common practice in Buddhist worship) • Mullah ordered Taliban forces to demolish the Bamiyan Buddhas in 2001 (extreme iconoclastic campaign) • Since their destruction, several new discoveries have been made near the sites of the Bamiyan Buddhas including fragments of a 62- foot long reclining Buddha • Video Link • UNESCO Link Jowo Rinpoche, enshrined in the Jokhang Temple. Lhasa, Tibet. Yarlung Dynasty. Believed to have been brought to Tibet in 641 C.E. • Gilt metals with semiprecious stones, pearls, and paint • Tibet’s most revered religious icon • Made in India by Vishakarma during Buddha Shakyamuni’s lifetime (the “original” Buddha) • At the time of the Buddha (circa 563 BCE to 483 BCE there were only two statues of this type) • India gave China the Jowo Rinpoche statue in return for the Que Checn (very rare and expensive fabric) • Devotion transforms the statue from an ordinary object into a real Buddha • In Tibet, when people are sick or die, the person’s relatives offer gold to the statue. The gold is directly applied to the face and body as an offering to the Buddha. A sick or dead person’s name is written in gold on red paper and is then burned in front of the statue in a butter lamp • Summary Link and Video Bahram Gur Fights the Karg, folio from the Great Il-Khanid Shahnama. Islamic; Persian, Il’Khanid. c. 1330- 1340 C.E. • Illustrated folio from a manuscript of the Great Ilkhanid Shahnama (Book of Kings) • Persian • Opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper • Assumed to have been commissioned by a high-ranking member of the Ilkhanid court and produced at the court scriptorium • 57 surviving illustrations reflect the intense interest in historical chronicles and the experimental approach to painting of the Ilkhanid period (1256-1335) • Ilkhanid court in Tabriz- teemed with merchants, missionaries, and diplomats from as far away as Europe and China • Iranian king Bahram Gur wears a robe made of European fabric to slay a fearsome horned wolf in a setting marked by the conventions of Chinese landscape painting • Summary Link Sultan Muhammad. The Court of Gayumars, folio from Shah Tahmasp’s Shahnama. 1522- 1525 C.E. • Opaque watercolor, ink, gold, and silver on paper • Folio from a Shahnameh (Book of Kings)- 258 illustrations • The Court of Keyomars is from one of the greatest manuscripts of all time, the Shahnameh • Produced for the Safavid ruler of Iran, Shah Tahmasp I • Took twenty years or more to complete • Almost all of the major Iranian artists from the first half of the sixteenth century were involved in this monumental project • Surrounded by his son and grandson, the king addresses the court below him • Impeccable details and minute scale • Took Sultan Mohammad three years to paint this masterpiece for his royal patron, Shah Tahmasp I • Summary Link • Columbia Link