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Existence of Arabesque in Islamic Architecture International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 7, Issue 6, June 2017 292 ISSN 2250-3153 Existence of Arabesque in Islamic Architecture Ar. Pooja Singh Assistant Professor, Amity School of Architecture & Planning, Amity University, Lucknow Campus, Uttar Pradesh. ABSTRACT- The Muslim empire has been recognised worldwide due to its genius representation of Art. The artists and craftsmen develop far-reaching sea trade (as for example the English and of Islamic empire put their religious beliefs to induce their Spaniards). As a result, the old world occupation of North creativity in a series of abstract forms and amazing works of art. America was left to Christians. These art forms were progressive towards establishing a new style substantially deviating from Roman and byzantine art of their time. For these artists, art was the way of transmitting the Believers are currently concentrated from the West coast of messages of Islam. This art touched everybody’s heart with its Africa to the Philippines. In Africa, in particular, they are ornamentation, detailing and calligraphy. increasing in numbers, largely at the expense of Christianity. The main objective of this article is to emphasise the Many do not look upon Islam as a new religion. They feel that it uniqueness of Islamic art, which was defined by religious beliefs is in reality the faith taught by the ancient Prophets, Abraham, and cultural values prohibiting the depiction of living creatures David, Moses and Jesus (Peace be upon them). Muhammad's role including humans. This article briefly examines the meaning and as the last of the Prophets was to formalize and clarify the faith character of art in Islamic culture, its implication on architecture and to purify it by removing foreign ideas that had been added in and explore about its main decorative form i.e. Arabesque (floral error. and geometrical). Finally, it looks at the influence of the art developed in the world of Islam in India. III. ISLAMIC ART INDEX TERMS- Derivation of Islam, Islamic Art, Islamic Architecture, and Arabesque, floral and geometrical patterns. Art is the medium which reflects the culture and establishment of a society. Similarly in the case of Islamic art, which reflects its cultural values, the belief toward spirituality, this universe, life I. ISLAM: THE DERIVATION and the association of human being with the almighty. For a The name of this religion, Islam, is derived from Arabic word Muslim, the core reality is “God (Allah)”, the “Salam”, which is often interpreted as meaning "peace". supreme ruler, the one who is pure and the However, specialists call the meaning of the word as most merciful, the almighty, towards whom, "submission", which indicates towards the eternal submission of Muslim’s worship and aspiration revolves. oneself to God. The holy book Quran states "Islam is to testify All things are bound together under God’s that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger leadership as part of an all-encompassing of Allah”, this statement clears the fact that Islam is a divine scheme which includes all aspects of monotheistic religion, according to which there is only one God being and life -- whatever is both inside and and that is Allah. The Islam religion finds its origin in South outside of time and space, and embracing Arabia and dates back to 7th Century, which is later to any other both the macrocosm in its most awesome major religion existing in the world. Despite its more recent expression and in its most minute forms. origin, there are around 1.6 billion followers of Islam across the With such a belief system, the Muslim is globe, thereby making it the second largest religion in the world convinced of the balance and harmony of all after Christians. things in existence. Because of the strict "Muslim" is an Arabic word that refers to a person who submits embargo, Islamic art developed a unique themselves to the will of God. Followers of Islam are called character, utilizing a number of primary Muslims. "Allah" is an Arabic word which means “The One forms: geometric, arabesque, floral, and True God.” (Source: www.wikipedia.com) calligraphic, which are often interwoven. From early times, Muslim art has showcased II. HISTORICAL GLIMPSES this balance and harmony imbibed into their Figure-1, culture. By 750 CE, Islam had spread to China, India, along the Southern Geometric shore of the Mediterranean and got stepped into Spain. By 1550, patterns in The early Muslim artists and artisans who they had weighed down Vienna. Wars resulted, expelling Islamic Art derived the intricate Muslims from Spain and Europe. Since they were mostly following land routes for their trade activities, they did not www.ijsrp.org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 7, Issue 6, June 2017 293 ISSN 2250-3153 systems of interconnected geometric forms which constitute the bases of Islamic geometric art of course may have no idea of On the contrary, it such realities. Nonetheless, the graphic manner in which they was equally notable conceived God's supreme central place in the cosmos, and the that the prayer chamber connection of the parts of creation to him and to the whole, of the mosque was reflects a very significant approximation of what can now be spacious rather than the documented by science. shrine of the temple which was comparatively small. IV. EXPRESSIONS IN ISLAMIC ART & The reason could have ARCHITECTURE been the difference in Figure-3, Quwwatul-Islam Mosque prayer styles wherein Islamic architecture includes a large variety of both the congregational materialistic and spiritual systems from the foundation of Islam prayer in Islam requires a to the present day, influencing the design and construction of spacious a courtyard with a buildings and structures in Islamic culture. The vocabulary of Hall pointed towards Mecca. Islamic Architecture was derived due to two types of Muslim invaders of India Architectural forms: were merely armed 1. The principal buildings, such as Mosques, Tombs, Palaces, horsemen, who had come to Forts. the country to loot and 2. The buildings of lesser importance, such as public baths, plunder and were having no fountains and domestic architecture. idea in terms of founding After Muhammad's time (after 632 AD), a specifically towns, cities or empires. Figure-4, Adhai din-ka-Jhonpra recognizable Islamic architectural style emerged, which was a Consequently they were not style evolved with the contribution of Egyptian, having architects, masons and craftsmen with them. The building Persian/Sassanid, Greek and Byzantine models. The Germanic debris was used by those Muslim invaders, for new improvised Visigoths in Spain also made a big contribution to Islamic buildings such as Quwwat-ul-islam(Figure-3) mosque in Delhi architecture. They invented the Horseshoe arch in Spain and used and Adhai din-ka-jhonpra (Figure-4) at Ajmer. them as one of their main architectural features, After the Moorish invasion of Spain in 711 AD the form was taken by The arrival of the Muslims in Umayyad who later emphasized the curvature of the horseshoe. India therefore did not An early example of Islamic architecture may be identified as immediately make a great impact early as 691 AD with the completion of the Dome of the Rock on Indian architecture and as a (Qubbat al-Sakhrah) in Jerusalem. It featured interior vaulted result, the physical conquest of spaces, a circular dome, and the use of stylized repeating India actually took more than a decorative patterns (arabesque). thousand years. It was only with V. ‘INDO’ - ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE the take-over of India by Emperor Babar in 1526 that the Muslims The ‘Indo’ character in Islamic architecture comes in existence began to think in terms of settling with the rise of Ghurid occupation at the close of 12th century down in the country and in course Figure-5, Main gateway, A.D. The Muslims were of time had the satisfaction that Akbar's tomb (mossaic & inherited with a good sense they now belonged to the inlay work) of varied designs from the country and that the country Sassanian and Byzantine belonged to them. As such from empires and being the 7th century to the 16th naturally rich with taste for century Muslim architecture in buildings, never failed to India reflects the unsettled adapt to their own condition of the conquerors who requirements, due to the felt that they were living amidst Figure-2, Arches, Qutub Complex, reason, glimpses of the the conquered inhabitants, many Delhi original character of almost of who were hostile to them. As every foreign country that they conquered, can be seen such the accent thus far was on throughout. The most important factors common to all the mixed security which could be had only forms of architecture in this era were especially with respect to in walled fortifications. It is, Figure-6, Complex Arabesque inlays at the mosques and temples, wherein the ornamental decoration was therefore, that early Muslim towns and cities, even when they Agra Fort in the Mughal playing a vital role into aesthetics and these buildings were Empire having an open court in many cases, which was surrounded by are tombs were made as fortified colonnades. places which they could easily defend against hostile forces. But after the proper settlement of their requirements in India and www.ijsrp.org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 7, Issue 6, June 2017 294 ISSN 2250-3153 after getting bored with the flat and non artistic features of their one of the four, the physical world, represented by a circle that buildings they thought to decorate their buildings with some inscribes the square, would collapse upon it and cease to exist.
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