4.2 Muslim Art, Architecture and Design, Mosques and

palacesBy Michelle Peck Williams, adapted by

Dianne Siasoco 10/23/2012

History of Islam• 7th Century AD

– Religion of Islam started by Muhammad, in what is now Saudi Arabia. “Muslims” are followers, “Islam” is the religion.

• 8th Century AD & on– Islamic empire spreads throughout the

Middle East, North Africa, Spain, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, etc.

• 1453– Ottoman Turks (Muslims) take over

Constantinople & the Byzantine Empire, renaming it Istanbul.

• 1492– Christians Ferdinand and Isabella defeat

and kick out all the Muslims in Spain.

Art• Strict rules about meant you

could NOT make a picture of statue of God, a holy person, etc.

• Muhammad’s face is usually not shown.

• Books can show “historical images” but they are not for praying to.

• Some rules relaxed later in some places, like Iran (Persians).

• So, instead, Islamic art focused on REPETITION, using:– Geometric patterns– Arabesques– Calligraphy

Geometric patterns

Arabesques (curved designs)

Calligraphy:Writing

Islamic architecture and designPlease copy:•Plaster is a building material used for covering walls and ceilings. Similar to mortar or cement it is mixed with water. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft and can be easily manipulated with tools. It is used for finishing a construction.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlasterImage to right: diki.pl

http://www.google.es/imgres?q=plaster&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1C1SKPL_enES405&biw=1303&bih=498&tbm=isch&tbnid=0NS7hi2Ot4PwXM:&imgrefurl=http://www.plinthandchintz.com/mambo/component/option,com_glossary/id,348/&docid=zdBJyttMhunYvM&imgurl=http://www.plinthandchintz.com/mambo/images/stories/DesignSpeak/plaster.jpg&w=600&h=400&ei=ewKHULS5HMTL0QWUqYGoBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=987&vpy=4&dur=90&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=200&ty=69&sig=112095874715214331100&page=4&tbnh=137&tbnw=213&start=49&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:41,s:20,i:322

Vaulted roofs• In building construction, a

structural member consisting of an arrangement of arches, usually forming a ceiling or roof.

• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/624158/vault

Islamic Architecture• Mosque: place of worship

Many mosques feature columns, domes and arches.

Portico

• Image from Alhambra://www.google.es/imgres?q=portico+spain&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1C1SKPL_enES405&biw=1303&bih=498&tbm=isch&tbnid=h3ssq41yiBmvuM:&imgrefurl=http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-21001156-portico-of-the-cuarto-dorado-alhambra-palace-granada-spain.php&docid=QqW43KpKzZOcoM&itg=1&imgurl=http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbview_approve/21001156/2/stock-photo-21001156-portico-of-the-cuarto-dorado-alhambra-palace-granada-spain.jpg&w=380&h=253&ei=MAaHUJbQHsmZhQfetIDoCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=987&vpy=161&dur=1284&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=126&ty=82&sig=112095874715214331100&page=1&tbnh=146&tbnw=218&start=0&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0,i:87

Image from Ronda: http://www.google.es/imgres?q=portico+spain&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1C1SKPL_enES405&biw=1303&bih=498&tbm=isch&tbnid=OreH1_-JH9lcMM:&imgrefurl=http://www.rgbstock.com/bigphoto/2dFom8G/Portico%2B2&docid=DQ0EyPHblypuNM&imgurl=http://m.rgbimg.com/cache1nlWv8/users/a/ab/abyla/600/2dFom8G.jpg&w=600&h=393&ei=MAaHUJbQHsmZhQfetIDoCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=634&vpy=4&dur=3987&hovh=182&hovw=278&tx=122&ty=122&sig=112095874715214331100&page=2&tbnh=129&tbnw=202&start=13&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:0,i:117

Islamic architecture often uses a courtyard with a portico.

Minarets are the towers where the muezzin calls people to prayer.

Inside, mosques are carpeted and you must remove your shoes.

Look at page 35.Can you find the…•Kiblah•Mihrab-where the Koran is kept

Do you know where Damascus, Kairouan, Samarra, Jerusalem, and Cordoba are?

Samarra, Iraq• Before an

explosion in 2006

• After

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4740000/newsid_4740000/4740030.stm

• Kairouan is in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670. The holy Mosque of Uqba is situated in the city.[2][3] It is considered by many Muslims to be Islam's fourth holiest city.

Famous Mosques• The Ka’aba, in Mecca, Saudi

Arabia

Famous Mosques• Medina

Famous Mosques• The Dome of the Rock, in

Jerusalem, Israel

More Dome of the Rock

Dome of the Rock Interior

Famous Mosques• The Great Mosque of Cordoba

in Spain

Other Famous Architecture:• The Taj Mahal in India• It’s a tomb, but it looks like a

Mosque.• Built by Shah Jahan, a Muslim

ruler of India in the 1600s.

Other Famous Architecture• The Alhambra in Spain• It’s a palace (house).

More Alhambra

More Alhambra

More Alhambra

More Alhambra

Water• Because they were a

desert culture, the early Muslims valued water highly, and often incorporated it into architectural design.

• Water is used for washing before prayers, 5 times a day.

Arabic Science & Math• To create such beautiful art works,

Arabic geometry and math became very advanced.

• They invented algebra.• “Arabic numerals” are still used

today (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).• They were the first to create

hospitals with quarantine, the compass, lenses, and the first to create distilled alcohol as an anesthetic.

• Arab libraries contained math & science books from all over the world, and helped start the Renaissance in Europe.

Your PROJECT• Create an Islamic-style

Geometric “Kaleidoscope” design.

• It must have RADIAL BALANCE.• You must color the whole thing

with RADIAL BALANCE with 3 or more colors to get full credit.

Islamic Exit Slips

A. Explain ONE way the BELIEFS of Islam influence the ART.

B. Explain ONE way you used Islamic style to create your design.