TerminologyArabesque – means “arab – style”, it is a complex,

ornate design of intertwined floral, and repeated geometric forms. Usually found as decoration on the walls of mosques.

Stucco – (plaster) used to create decorative features on buildings.

Mosque – an Islamic temple or place of worship for Muslims.

Cupola – a rounded convex roof on a circular base (a dome of small size).

Characteristics…Non-figural decoration – three types of

decoration are most often used in religious Islamic designs. They are geometric patterns, vegetation & calligraphy. Represents the infiniteness of God.

The minaretFeatures borrowed from the Greeks, and

Romans

Purpose: fortress-palace for Moorish rulers. The fortress has residences, courts, offices, a bath and a mosque.

Alhambra means the “red fortress”.

Spain’s most significant example of Islamic architecture.

Stucco used to decorate.Arabesque style.

What other architectural features do you see?

SIDE NOTE:Moors – the Islamic rulers of Spain (710-1492)

The Dome of the Rock is sacred to three major religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, it is considered to be a “place of oneness”

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For Jewish People: They believe the rock is the foundation stone where

God created man.They believe it was first consecrated by the Israelites

of Exodus. They believe it was the site where Abraham prepared

to sacrifice his son Isaac .Site of the Temple of Solomon.

For Christians: Jesus’ teachings & for the same reason listed above.

For Muslims: It is the site where Mohammed began his ascent to

Heaven.

Temple Mount

957 BC – David made a temple to house the ark of the covenant. This was the Temple of Solomon.

destroyed in 587-86 BC by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon.

515 BC – second temple build (Where Jesus’ teachings in the temple)

70 AD - the temple was destroyed (all that remained was the western wall)

135 BC - Emperior Hadian build a temple to Jupiter

614 BC - Dome of the Rock was built

•The Western Wall in the midst of the Old City in Jerusalem is the section of the Western supporting wall of the Temple Mount which has remained intact since the destruction of the Second Jerusalem Temple (70 CE)

•It became a center of mourning over the destruction of the Temple and Israel's exile

• communion with the memory of Israel's former glory and the hope for its restoration

•it became known in European languages as the "Wailing Wall".

Artistic Details

Mathematical Rhythm – all critical dimensions are related to the circle centre of the dome.ie. the length of each wall is equal to the diameter of the dome.

Cupola (outside) – presently aluminum and covered with gold leaf. Originally wood and gold.

Cupola (inside) – is decorated with floral decorations. Mosaics – realistic and stylized images of vegetation.

Tiles – decorate the inside of the drum and the outside.

HISTORY•Armeanans build a temple for Hadad•Romans build a Temple for the God Jupiter.•Area became a sacred Christian site and a Church for St. John the Baptist was built•The church was demolished and made into the mosque you see today.

WHAT TO SEE…•Shrine dedicated to St. John the Baptist (where traditions says his head is buried).

•Decorated with mosaics•Minarets

Iznik pottery designsCobalt blueChinese influences (fascination with Chinese

pottery)Geometric patterns (Islamic in design)Developed in the region

of Western Anatolia (eastern turkey)

Other Iznik designs included blue, purple, red, green, turquoise, grey and black.

MosaicDesign forms geometric

patterns based on five- and ten-pointed stars.

This style of wall decoration was used especially in the interiors of mosques.

Christian Islamic Art

Architectural features: dome, cupola, arches, columnDecorative features: mosaics

Architectural features: minarets

Decorative Features: tiles, floral designs

Images are floral designs, geometric patterns, writing

Architectural features: bell towers

Decorative Features: sculptures

Images include nature, figures and storytelling

Time period of nomadic peoples, therefore a lot of small portable artworks created

Europe has divided into a variety of small kingdoms

Pockets of education are maintained by remaining monasteries / religious communities

-hand-painted illustrations (often calligraphic writing) in books – often copies of the bible

Paintings made on vellum (calfskin)

X-P monogram of ChristSymbol of a warriors

crossConstantine’s cross

The absence of figures is a characteristic feature of Islamic religious art. It is occasionally said that figures were banned in Islam from the start, but this is untrue. The Koran has very little to say on the subject. Muslims believe that God is unique and without associates and therefore that he cannot be represented. He is worshipped directly without intercessors, so there is no place for images of saints. Since the Koran has little in the way of narrative, there was little reason to present stories in religious art, and in time this absence of opportunity hardened into law.