Islamic Art

Calligraphy: reverence for the Koran as the Word of God extends to the act of writing the Koran—generations of scribes transformed the writing of the Koran into an art form—into calligraphy Arabic Script is written from the right to the left each of its letters takes one of three forms depending on it’s position in the word this system of writing lends itself to many variations most early Korans had only three to five lines per page because the writing had to be large because the books were shared because calligraphy was an honored occupation, calligraphers enjoyed the highest status of all artists in Islamic society

Illuminated tugra of Sultan Suleyman, from Istanbul, Turkey c. 1555-1560 ink, paint, and gold on paper Illuminated tugra of Sultan Suleyman, from Istanbul, Turkey c. 1555-1560 ink, paint, and gold on paper a tugra – is an imperial emblem ; in an Ottoman tugra the ruler’s name is combined with his title—khan (lord), his father’s name, and the motto eternally victorious” the tugra symbolizes the authority of the sultan a firman is an imperial edict that supplements Muslim law always three long vertical lines to the right of two horizontal teardrops fill decoration– merges abstraction with naturalism boldness with delicacy political power with patronage function (utilitarian and symbolic) with adornment

Garden carpet from central Persia see page 364 Garden carpet second half of the 17th century woolen pile, cotton warps, cotton and wool wefts `17’5” x 14’2”

Mosaic mihrab from the Madrasa Imami (restored) 1354 CE Isfahan 11'3" x 7'6", mihrab niche - a niche which signifies a holy place apse in a church shrine for Torah scrolls in a synagogue frame for the sculpture of gods or ancestors in Roman architecture The most important element in any mosque is the mihrab, the niche that indicates the direction of Mecca. Because it functions as the focal point in prayer ritual, its decoration was executed with great skill and devotion. This example from the Madrasa Imami in Isfahan, founded in 755 A.H./1354 A.D., is composed of a mosaic of small glazed tiles fitted together to form various geometric and floral patterns and inscriptions. The inscriptional frieze in muhaqqaq script containing sura IX:14–22 from the Qur’an runs from the bottom right to the bottom left; a second inscription, in kufic script, with sayings of the Prophet, borders the pointed arch of the niche; and a third inscription, in cursive, is set in a frame at the center of the niche. The bottom of the niche, just below the central inscription, and a substantial part of the beginning and end of the main inscription were restored by skillful potters in Isfahan in the mid-1920s. Source: Mihrab [Isfahan, Iran] (39.20) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art This mosaic mihrab (prayer niche) from the Madrasa Imami (school for advanced study by Imams) has been restored in its location in the ancient capital of Isfahan, in Persia. It is made of glazed and painted ceramic on plaster using a painstaking process of cutting each piece of tile, including the pieces that make up the kufic inscription around the frame of the niche. Each niche would have had a copy of the Koran for reciting verses, and each was oriented to face Mecca for daily prayers and meditations. The use of a rich cobalt blue underglaze is evident. Persia has always been a rich source of raw cobalt, and this material was traded throughout the region and into China. Such architectural elements would travel with the spread of Islam across Northern Africa and into Spain, and can be seen in throughout Andalusia (Southern Spain) in mosques in cities such as Granada, Ronda, Malaga, Cordoba, and Seville.

a muqarna – a squinch (pendetives and squinches convert a square into a circle)—used in multiples as interlocking, load bearing, niche-shaped vaulting units appear as facted surfaces a muqarna

a muqarna

muqarnas

mihrab qibla wall --designates the direction of Mecca iwan (barrel vaulted halls with wide-open, arched entrances) – associated with madrasas minaret sahn (courtyard)

the oldest surviving Islamic sanctuary holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina Judaism: Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac Christian: site associated with e creation of Adam and the Temple built by Solomon

Dome of the Rock c. 687-691

Dome of the Rock c. 687-691

interior, Dome of the Rock c. 687-691 pilgrims must first walk around the central space first clockwise and then counter clock wise to read the inscriptions in gold mosaic on a turquoise ground these texts are the first use of monumental Koranic inscriptions in architectural decoration interior, Dome of the Rock c. 687-691

interior, Dome of the Rock c. 687-691

an octagon within an octagon—derived from early Christian and Byzantine architecture Dome of the Rock c. 687-691