The Islamic World Overview

● 622-756 ● 1453-1924 ○ Muhammad abandons for Medina 622 ○ The Ottomans capture Constantinople in 1453 and ○ The Umayyads, the first Islamic dynasty, build the develop the domed central plan of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Great Mosque in ○ Timurid book illumination flowers under shah Tahmasp ○ Safavid artisans perfect the manufacture of cuerda seca ● 756-1453 and mosaic ○ THe Abbasids produce the earliest Korans with calligraphy ○ The Spanish Umayyad dynasty builds the Great Mosque in its at Cordoba ○ The Nasrids embellish the Alhambra with magnificent palaces ○ The Fatmid, Ayyubid, and dynasties in Egypt are lavish art patrons http://www.vox.com/a/maps-explain-the-middle-east https://youtu.be/ymI5Uv5cGU4?t=5m Early Islamic

● Muhammad 570-632 ● https://youtu.be/TpcbfxtdoI8 ● As quickly as Christianity, spread throughout Arabia, palestine, syria iraq and egypt 10 years after Muhammad's death in 632. ● was brought to India, Middle East, Africa, and Europe. ● Most notably Spain. overthrew the Visigoths led by Abd al-rahman and set the capital up at Cordoba, Islam was entrenched in spain until 1492 during the spanish inquisition. ● Early Islamic

● Before Muhammed, many in Mesopotamia worshiped gods from the Mesopotamian period, were separate small tribes, and nomadic traders ● Not big players on the stage before, in an area between the Byzantine Empire and Sasanian Empire (Persian). ● Muhammed became a central figure in uniting millions under a new religion, that did not have the early problem that Christianity had in waiting for the prophet to return. ● 640. Muslims ruled syria, palestine and iraq, ● 651, Ended 400 years of rule of sasanian control of ● 710 all north africa under control ● 711 ruled spain, 732 into parts of france and began to directly oppose Charles Martel and the Franks. Grandfather of Charlemagne ● Early Islamic

● Muslims Flourished in Cordova until 1031 starting their decline until the end in 1492. ● Caliph is a religious steward (leader) of a Caliphate. A Caliphate is an area of land that has a Caliph. ● Islamic forces were responsible by conquering the byzantine empire in 1453. ● Military dominance alone cannot explain this phenomena. Spread of the religion, openness to trade, the proximity of two wealthy empires in the Byzantine and Sasanian empires allowed for a rapid expansion. Technology moved from east to west. With culture, academics, and technology being placed in this region of the world and allowed for this civilization to rapidly expand. Early Islamic

● Jerusalem (638 under Islamic Control) ● Dome of the Rock 687-692, the first great islamic building. ● Not a mosque, rather a triumphal structure commemorating the triumph of Islam ● Places a Third religion in the holy city along with Judaism and Christianity. ● Placed in the tradition of Late Antique Mediterranean . A central plan. ● A dome sits on top of a ring of columns supporting it. An octagonal structure surrounds and encloses the space. ● ● Jerusalem (638 under Islamic Control) ● Dome of the Rock 687-692, the first great islamic building. ● Not a mosque, rather a triumphal structure commemorating the triumph of Islam ● Places a Third religion in the holy city along with Judaism and Christianity. ● Placed in the tradition of Late Antique Mediterranean architecture. A central plan. ● A dome sits on top of a ring of columns supporting it. An octagonal structure surrounds and encloses the space. ● 75 foot tall double shelled wood dome, which dominates the elevation to reduce the octagon to function as a base. ● Interior/Exterior are examples of Mosaic tilework, ceramics were fired with single color glazes in a kiln and placed on the wall. ● Later Cuerda seca (dry cord work were introduced. ● https://youtu.be/ps-MXtxIh6o (curda seca Example) ● Early mosaics were of small pieces, then Cuerda seca allowed for intricate tiles be produced that were bigger, polychromatic and less expensive to clad on a structure. Early Islamic

● The great mosque Damascus, Syria 706- 715 ● transferred their capital from Mecca to Damascus in 661. ● Caliph al-Walid purchased a Byzantine Church dedicated to John the Baptist, and formerly a Roman Temple to the god Jupiter. They demolished the structure, but kept the walls to build the new mosque. ● Used the original blocks, columns, and capitals. ● Used pier arcades similar to roman aqueducts ● are earliest examples in and are modified from two roman bell towers (- tower that calls followers to worship) Early Islamic

Great Mosque Damascus

Interior shows the salvaging of Roman and Byzantine components to rebuild the new mosque. Reminiscent of early Basilica, timber trussed roof, two tiered arcade with corinthian capitals. Early Islamic

Detail of mosaics in the courtyard arcade Great Mosque, Damascus Syria

● Extensive glass mosaics covered the walls and arcades. Artists depicted palace villas, trees, and gardens besides rivers ● Early Islamic mosaics owe much to Byzantine Roman, and early Christian artwork. ● No prohibition against figural art in the Koran, but based on the Hadith (words, actions, and habits associated to Muhammad) shuns the representation of animals of any kind in sacred places. Early Islamic

Great Mosque , Tunisia 836- 875.

● design, Vast rows of columns holding structure up. ● Its original woodwork carving (think a christian pulpit) is still in use today ● Vast think buttressing holds the walls up, (Buttressing are thick ribs on the exterior of a building that support the weight of the structure. ● Early Islamic

Great Mosque Kairouan, Tunisia 836- 875.

● Hypostyle design, Vast rows of columns holding structure up. ● Terms ○ wall ( Direction prayer should be facing) ○ -semicircular niche in the Qibla where prayer should be facing. Monumentalized in mosaics. Similar to an apse in a basilica ○ Mihrab Dome (ornamental dome in the direction of prayer) ○ Hypostyle prayer (huge formation of columns holding roof up similar to Egyptian) Early Islamic

Great Mosque Kairouan, Tunisia 836- 875.

● Hypostyle design, Vast rows of columns holding structure up. ● Terms ○ Nave- central part of church/mosque, where congregation forms ○ Entrance dome. Dome that is above the entrance ○ Forecourt (outside courtyard) ○ Minaret (tower where prayer is led outside) Early Islamic Early Islamic

Malwiya Minaret, Great Mosque, Samarra, Iraq 848-852

● Spiral Minaret at Samarra is the most novel prayer structure in the Islamic world ● At the time of construction, the Samarra mosque was the largest in the world ● Malwiya (snail shell in Arabic) ● 165 ft tall ● This form inspired the Tower of Babel (ancient Babylon’s Ziggurat). ● The war in Iraq and subsequent civil conflict has led to this structure to suffer great damages ● https://youtu.be/Upmo5ufrXjo ● Early Islamic

● Mausoleum of the Samanids, Bukhara, Uzbekistan, 10th century ● A rare example of a monumental tomb. Muhammad had been opposed to elaborate burials but by the 9th-10th century, Abbasid caliphs were laid to rest in dynastic Mausolea. ● Constructed of baked bricks, domed capped cube form with sloping sides. ● Bricks were custom shaped to create a vivid and varied geometric surface pattern. ● Bricks on corners form drafted engaged columns. ● The brick dome rests on a brick . Early Islamic

Great Mosque, Cordoba, Spain, 8th- 10th Century

● Abd al Rahman I escaped the Abbasid massacre in syria and fled to spain in 750, where arabs overthrew the visigoths in 711. The arab military governors accepted him as their overlord and he founded the Umayyad dynasty. ● Cordoba was the capital ● Became as important an islamic city as Baghdad, and spread civilizational influences on the Christian West. ● Early Islamic

Great Mosque, Cordoba, Spain, 8th- 10th Century

● The great mosque was erected on the site of a visigoth church. A show of triumph over spain. ● Became the largest mosque in the west. ● The interior hypostyle hall had 36 piers and 514 columns. Topped with a system of double tiered that carried a timber trussed roof. ● Lower arches horseshoe shaped, became a style associated with Islam in the west. ● Appearance of windblown sails. ● Early Islamic

Great Mosque, Cordoba, Spain, 8th- 10th Century

● 961 renovations to the mosque took place, and added a series of and monumental gates to the mosque. ● Colorful masonry and intricate surface patterns. ● Top, overlapping horseshoe arches springing from thin colonnettes. Early Islamic

Great Mosque, Cordoba, Spain, 8th- 10th Century

Masqura- an area reserved for the caliph and connected to his palace by a corridor in the qibla wall.

Highly decorative multilobed arches shows islamic experimentation with highly technical geometric forms. Early Islamic

Great Mosque, Cordoba, Spain, 8th- 10th Century

Dome in front of the mihrab.

● The same decorative effect also inspired the dome. Dome rests on an octagonal squinch. Crisscrossing ribs form an intricate pattern centered on two squares set at 45 degree angles to each other. Byzantine mosaic artists were employed to do the mosaic work of this complex during the 900’s. ● https://youtu.be/7YvNMDy_h3g ● Early Islamic

Friday Mosque, , Iran 11th to 17th century.

● Hypostyle hall type were built throughout the centuries.. But different types of plans were developed. ● Originally a hypostyle plan, Friday mosque was ● Large were built (vaulted spaces opening up into the courtyard) ● Iwans were considerably intricate and adorned with stones mosaics and ceramics ● Early Islamic

Iwan, Friday Mosque, Isfahan, Iran.

Iwan example. Early Islamic

Pyxis of al-Mughira, Cordoba Spain 968, Ivory.

● Centers of production of ivory art forms were usually for courts of muslim caliphs and sultans. ● Spanish Umayyad ivory pyxides (cylindrical boxes with a hemispherical lid) ● Featured motifs of royal power and privilege, Hunting motifs were common, this pyxis was decorated with a wide assortment of animals and hunters. Early Islamic

Sulayman (artist signature) ewer in the form of a bird, 796. Brass with copper and silver inlay.

● Freestanding statuette. With a hole at the top suggesting a utilitarian purpose. ● Incised decorative lines suggest feathers, but rosettes on the neck are decorative ● Motifs in islamic art were interchangeable and were adorned on ceramics, metalworks, and 2D works. Early Islamic

Koran, illuminated manuscript 9th-10th century

● Calligraphy, (ornamental writing) held a place of honor in the islamic world ● Muslim scribes wanted to reproduce the words of the Koran in a script as beautiful as human hand could produce. ● An ancient Arabic proverb proclaims “purity of writing is purity of soul”.. Only China and the Islamic world used calligraphy in such an elevated position in the arts during this period. ● https://youtu.be/K7e4QBxtCl8 ● Early Islamic

Dish with Arabic proverb, Nishapur, Iran 10th Century.

● Potters in nishapur developed simple but elegant type of glazed dish with calligraphic decoration. ● Samarqand Ware ● Ceramic artists formed the shape from the local dark pink clay and immersed the dish in a tub of white slip. ● When the slip dried, a calligrapher wrote a Kufic text in black or brown paint around the flat rim of the dish. A transparent glaze was applied last then fired. . ● “Knowledge is bitter tasting at first but in the end is sweeter than honey.” Is the inscription on this plate. Later Islamic

Alhambra, Granada, Spain. 1354- 1391.

● A huge palace fortress ● https://youtu.be/iEseJViidy8 ● Alhambra (the red in arabic) named for the rose color stone used for its walls and towers. ● The complex had a population of 40000 ● Alhambra is preserved due to its christian conquerors who build palaces inside the Alhambra, commemorating the moors being pushed from spain. ● Later Islamic

Alhambra Courtyard Later Islamic

Ottoman Empire.

Sinan, Mosque of Selim II, Edirne, Turkey 1568-1575.

● https://youtu.be/Q48ddBmCjQA ● Sinan was the most famous ottoman architect. Known as perfecting the Ottoman Architectural style. ● Worked for the greatest ottoman sultan, Suleyman the Magnificent. ● Ottoman architects employed the basic domed unit, scaling, manipulating as needed. ● Fires and earthquakes had huge effect, demolishing many buildings, while the mosques survived with no damage. Later Islamic

Ottoman Empire.

Sinan, Mosque of Selim II, Edirne, Turkey 1568-1575.

● https://youtu.be/Q48ddBmCjQA ● Sinan was the most famous ottoman architect. Known as perfecting the Ottoman Architectural style. ● Worked for the greatest ottoman sultan, Suleyman the Magnificent. ● Ottoman architects employed the basic domed unit, scaling, manipulating as needed. ● Fires and earthquakes had huge effect, demolishing many buildings, while the mosques survived with no damage. Later Islamic

Ottoman Empire.

Sinan, Mosque of Selim II, Edirne, Turkey 1568-1575.

● https://youtu.be/Q48ddBmCjQA ● Sinan was the most famous ottoman architect. Known as perfecting the Ottoman Architectural style. ● Worked for the greatest ottoman sultan, Suleyman the Magnificent. ● Ottoman architects employed the basic domed unit, scaling, manipulating as needed. ● Fires and earthquakes had huge effect, demolishing many buildings, while the mosques survived with no damage. Later Islamic

Mihrab, from the Imami, Isfahan, Iran. https://youtu.be/hXNFjOhrihI

Mihrab, a prayer arrow to Mecca. Position the worshippers to pray towards Mecca.

● Shows a mastery of Mosaic and holy calligraphy script. All of Isfahan was gilded in blue mosaic tile patterns. ● Religious Decoration that was allowed, complex geometric patterns and calligraphy depicting Allah’s word and the complexity of Allah’s creation. Later Islamic

Minarets Friday Mosque, Isfahan Iran. https://youtu.be/hXNFjOhrihI

Mihrab, a prayer arrow to Mecca. Position the worshippers to pray towards Mecca.

● Shows a mastery of Mosaic and holy calligraphy script. All of Isfahan was gilded in blue mosaic tile patterns. ● Religious Decoration that was allowed, complex geometric patterns and calligraphy depicting Allah’s word and the complexity of Allah’s creation. Later Islamic

Muqarnas tilework of the entrance portal of the Imam Mosque Isfahan Iran. https://youtu.be/hXNFjOhrihI

Mihrab, a prayer arrow to Mecca. Position the worshippers to pray towards Mecca.

● Shows a mastery of Mosaic and holy calligraphy script. All of Isfahan was gilded in blue mosaic tile patterns. ● Religious Decoration that was allowed, complex geometric patterns and calligraphy depicting Allah’s word and the complexity of Allah’s creation. Later Islamic

Ardabil Carpets

Maqsud of Kashan (artist), carpet from the funerary mosque of Shaykh Safi Al Din Iran 1540.

● Large carpet, 34ftx17ft ● Became large national industrial enterprises in Iran ● Complex Geometric patterns with sunburst medallion design. No animal or human figures appear, both used in secular or Islamic religious settings. Prayer would occur kneeling on these carpets some very large, some very small for personal use. ● Theme of complexity of God's universe in these geometric patterns. Later Islamic

Mosque lamp of Sayf al Din, Egypt. 1340. Glass with enamel decoration.

● Glass lamps hung on chains from mosque ceilings ● Typical shape of the period, conical neck wide body, and identical handles and 1 ft tall. ● Inside the container held a wick and pool of oil. ● Quote of Koran verse compares gods light with the light in a lamp. This verse is inscribed on the lamp with calligraphy Later Islamic

Baptistere de Saint Louis. Egypt 1300.

● Metalwork was a early islamic artform that developed through later periods. ● Basin was used to wash hands at official ceremonies, Basin show mongol enemies, to depict the invasion of the mongol armies of the period. ● Mongols were military forces and had little art or documentation. Later Islamic

Canteen with episodes from the life of Jesus Syria 1240-1250

Canteen with baptismal water depicting the life of Jesus . During this time, Christians were making pilgrimages from europe to Holy lands as well as the Crusades seeking to conquer the holy land from Islamic Control

● These artifacts show an intermingling and cohabitation of Christians and Muslims throughout this time period.