1. HIST 2252 History and Religion in Islamic Art
Dr Niall Christie
Office Hours: Monday, 11:30-2:20; Tuesday and Thursday, 10:30-11:20, and by appointment
Copy of outline on the web at:
<

2. Islamic art is:
Art produced in lands under Islamic rule or influence, regardless of the
religion of the artist.

3. Map Link: The Caliphate in 750:
<
califate_750.jpg>
Map Link: The ‘Abbasid Caliphate c. 800:
<
Map Link: Distribution of Muslims in the World Today:
<
28Pew_Forum%29.svg>

4. Object List
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem; exterior view; front view. 7th c AD (F)
Mosque of al-Mutawakkil, or Great Mosque; Samarra (Iraq); view
from the north. AD (F)
Qur’an: Ibn al-Bawwab Brown ink, colour and gold on paper.
17.5 x 13.5cm. (F)
Mir Afzal Tuni Album painting of a lady watching a dog drink from a
bowl. Iran, c Illuminated manuscript. (F)
Aircraft with calligraphy, Gulf Air. Full side view. (F)
Lustreware; cock fight; Fatimid period ( ). (F)
F = Ferret, A = Archnet

5. Object List
Mantle of Roger II, Norman king of Sicily, made by Muslim artisans
for coronation. 12th c. (F)
Great Umayyad Mosque, Damascus, from the air. (Sacred Sites:
<
Minbar, Great Umayyad Mosque, Damascus. (Al Mashriq:
<
Mihrab, Great Umayyad Mosque, Damascus. (A)
Imam’s Mosque, Isfahan , 1630, & View of inside court,
showing two of the four iwans. (F)
Interior view of Alcazar, Seville. Dome of the throne room.
Almohad Period ( ). (F)
F = Ferret, A = Archnet

6. Object List
Tomb of the Samanids, Bukhara. The only surviving whole structure
of the Samanid period. 907 AD. (F)
The Great Mosque at Cordoba, Umayyad Period. AD
Interior of the sanctuary (view from east). (F)
Great Umayyad Mosque, Damascus; exterior view: Entrance. 8th c
AD. (F)
Ottoman Iznik tiles th c. (F)
Alhambra Palace, Granada (Spain). 14th c. Hall of the Two Sisters.
Muqarnas ceiling plaster. (F)
F = Ferret, A = Archnet

7. Object List
Alhambra Palace, Granada (Spain). 14th c. Court of the Lions. Closer
view of the lacy façade from outside, ca (F)
Alhambra Palace, Granada (Spain). 14th c. Court of the Lions.
Detail of wall panels. (F)
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem; ornamental detail; calligraphy detail.
8th c AD. (F)
Qur’an illumination. For Sultan Sha‘ban’s madrasa. Cairo
74 x 51 cm. Ink, gold, and colour on paper. (F)
Majnun before Layla’s tent. From a Safavid copy of Jami‘s ( )
Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones) Illuminated
manuscript. (F)
F = Ferret, A = Archnet

8. Object List
Mosaic pavement from the audience room of Khirbat al-Mafjar.
Jericho. C. 740 AD. Al-Walid II? (F)
The Tree of Zaqqum in Hell. Page from the Mirajnama Herat. 1436
(540 AH). (F)
Illuminated Qur’an, Manuscript written by calligrapher Mohammed
Ali Khan Nasr al-Dawla, from Iran. In Persian language, 1901
(1319 AH). (F)
Hot Worked Bottle, Egypt or Syria, 7th-8th Centuries. (Metropolitan
Museum of Art: <
Lustre Bowl, 10th Century, Iraq. (Metropolitan Museum of Art:
<
F = Ferret, A = Archnet

9. Object List
Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo AD. Ornamental detail. Close
detail of column capitals and decorative frieze. (F)
Detail of Masonry, Umayyad Qasr (palace) at Amman. (A)
Illustration from a copy of the Majma‘ al-Tawarikh (Compendium of
Histories), ca. 1425; Timurid. Herat, Afghanistan. Colors, silver,
and gilt on brownish paper; 16 7/8 x 13 1/4 in. (42.8 x 33.7 cm).
Metropolitan Museum of Art: <
Earthenware unglazed ewer with incised décor. Iraq: early 8th c. (F)
Cartoons from Jyllands-Posten. Newspaperindex.com:
<
F = Ferret, A = Archnet

10. Map Link: The Middle East in the 6th Century:
<

11. Word List
Timeline
Mecca Quraysh
haram Ka‘ba
Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd
al-Muttalib, of the clan of Hashim, of
the tribe of Quraysh
Hashim Abu Talib Khadija
c. 570 Birth of
Muhammad

12. Word List
Timeline
Mt. Hira’
sura (chapter of the
Qur’an)
aya (verse of the
Qur’an/Koran ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
610 Laylat al-Qadr
(Night of Power, 27th
Ramadan)
611 Muhammad starts
preaching in Mecca.

13. Word List
Timeline
Yathrib
‘Aws
Khazraj
Abu Bakr
615 Some Muslims emigrate to
Abyssinia.
619 Deaths of Abu Talib and
Khadija.
620 Muhammad meets Yathribis.
622 Yathribis swear to obey/fight
for Muhammad.

14. Word List
Timeline
al-Madina/Medina
(the city)
Madinat al-Nabi (the city of the Prophet)
muhajirun (migrants) ansar (helpers)
umma (Muslim community)
Constitution of Medina
622 hijra (started 16th
July).

15. Word List
Timeline
Banu Qurayza
Banu’l-Nadir
Banu Qaynuqa‘
khandaq (ditch)
Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh
624 Battle of Badr. Expulsion
of the Banu Qaynuqa‘.
625 Battle of Uhud. Expulsion
of the Banu’l-Nadir.
627 Battle of the khandaq.
Execution of the Banu Qurayza.

16. Word List
Timeline
Isma‘il/Ishmael
Ta‘if jizya
hajj ‘A’isha
628 Truce with Mecca
629 Muslim pilgrimage
to Mecca
630 Muhammad takes
Mecca
632 Death of
Muhammad (8th June)

17. Word List
Themes in the
Qur’an
al-Fatiha (the Opening)
Abraham, Moses, David,
Jesus and Muhammad
Hud, Salih, Shu‘ayb and
Luqman
hadith
Sunna
khawass al-Qur’an
God
2. Prophets
3. Judgment Day

18. Word List
Timeline
Khusraw Parviz
Heraclius
Ctesiphon
Abu Bakr
602 Persians attack
Byzantine Empire.
628 Byzantines drive
Persians back to Ctesiphon.
Persia descends into civil
war.
632 Death of Muhammad.
Succeeded by Abu Bakr.

19. Word List
khalifat rasul Allah (successor to the
Messenger of God)
khalifa (caliph) umma
amir al-mu’minin (commander of the faithful)
rashidun (rightly-guided ones) Umayyads
hijra ‘A’isha

20. Word List
Timeline
ridda (apostasy)
‘Umar ibn
al-Khattab
Yarmuk River
Wars of the Ridda
634 Death of Abu Bakr.
Succeeded by ‘Umar
636 Battle of the Yarmuk
River. Conquest of Syria/
Holy Land follows.
637 Damascus taken.

21. Map Link: The Muslim Conquests:
<
muslimconquestsmap.gif>

22. Word List
Timeline
Qadisiyya
Ctesiphon
Zoroastrianism
magi
gnostic Manichaeans Alexandria
637 Battle of Qadisiyya.
Ctesiphon and other Persian
cities taken.
Muslims take Egypt.

23. Word List
Timeline
diwan
‘Uthman ibn
‘Affan
ansar
fitna (temptation/
time of trials, i.e.
civil war)
Further expeditions
vs. Byzantines and Persians.
644 Death of ‘Umar.
Succeeded by ‘Uthman.
651 Completion of
conquest of Persia.
655 Muslims take Cyprus.

24. Word List
Timeline
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
Basra
Mu‘awiya ibn Abi
Sufyan
Siffin
kharijis (seceders)
656 Death of ‘Uthman.
‘Ali acclaimed as caliph.
Battles of the Camel and
Siffin. Arbitration agreed.
‘Ali abandoned by
kharijis.

25. Word List
Timeline
Adhruh
al-Hasan
al-Husayn
shi‘at ‘Ali/
shi‘is/Shi‘ites
658 Arbitration at Adhruh.
Rejected by ‘Ali.
660 Mu‘awiya acclaimed
caliph in Jerusalem.
661 Death of ‘Ali.
Al-Hasan gives up claim
to caliphate.

26. Object List F = Ferret, A = Archnet
Façade of the Palace at Ctesiphon. (Circle of Ancient Iranian
Studies: <
sasanian/Sites/ctesiphon.htm>.)
Restored facade of the Palace at Ctesiphon. (Circle of Ancient
Iranian Studies: <
museum/sasanian/Sites/ctesiphon.htm>.)
19th-century photograph of the Palace at Ctesiphon. (Circle of
Ancient Iranian Studies: <
virtual_museum/sasanian/Sites/ctesiphon.htm>.)
Façade of the palace at Ctesiphon in the 19th century. Sasanian. (F)
Iwan/Eyvan of the Palace at Ctesiphon. (Circle of Ancient

27. Object List Iwan of Sasanian imperial palace. Ctesiphon, Iraq. (F)
Sasanian stucco plaques: rosette from Bishapur; plaque from
Um-Za’atir near Ctesiphon. (F, plus image of second plaque
from Niall Christie, Personal Collection: <
www3.telus.net/nchristi/HIST2252slides/persianwings.jpg>.)
Sasanian merlon of stucco from Bishapur. Sasanian stucco plaque
with boar’s head from Damghan. (F)
Relief showing two ibexes flanking a vine. (Niall Christie, Personal
Collection: <
persianibexes.jpg>.)
F = Ferret, A = Archnet

28. Sasanian Silver and Gilt Plate, 5th-7th Century. (Freer and
Object List
Sasanian silver bowl showing King Peroz (457/9-484 CE) hunting
moufflons. Silver with partial mercury gilding. Sasanian. (F)
Silver bowl with Khusraw I Anushirvan among dignitaries. Sasanian. (F)
Sasanian Silver and Gilt Plate, 5th-7th Century. (Freer and
Sackler Galleries, Purchase F : <
Silver jug with crossed lions. Sasanian. (F)
Chapel of the Ascension, Jerusalem. Byzantine. (F)
Sculpted pier from St Polyeuktos, Constantinople, 524-7, reused,
Piazzetta, Venice. (Early Christian and Byzantine Art:
<
F = Ferret, A = Archnet

29. Object List
Throne of Archbishop Maximianus: detail, decorative panel showing
birds and animals in a vineyard, ca (AICT:
<
Throne of Archbishop Maximianus: detail, panel of John the Baptist,
ca (AICT: <
Throne of Archbishop Maximianus: detail, panel showing Christ,
healing the blind man, ca
(AICT: <
The Transfiguration, c. 565/6. Apse mosaic. St Catherine’s Monastery,
Sinai. (Early Christian and Byzantine Art:
<
F = Ferret, A = Archnet

30. Object List
Christ and the Theotokos and Child with saints and angels. 6th cent.
Ivory dyptich. (Early Christian and Byzantine Art:
<
Solidus of Heraclius, 641, and Semissis of Heraclius,
(Byzantine Coins Home Page:
<
Bronze Peacock Lamp. Early Byzantine, probably Egypt, 6th-7th
century. (Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Collection:
<
The Riha Paten showing the Communion of the Apostles Silver.
(Early Christian and Byzantine Art:
F = Ferret, A = Archnet

31. Object List
Christ Heals Two Blind Men, folio 29r, Sinope Gospels, 6th cent.
(and detail) (Early Christian and Byzantine Art:
<
F = Ferret, A = Archnet