islam arch art history

At the time of the Dome of the Rock’s construction, Muslim practitioners in Jerusalem were meant to recognize the triumph of the new faith of Islam through which external aspect of the structure?

A. Its symbolic location at a sacred religious site

B. Its concentric aisles that allow circumambulation

C. Its Qur’anic frieze that is visible throughout the city

D. Its integrated position in a bustling city center

Its symbolic location at a sacred religious site

The Dome of the Rock was built on the site of the Temple Mount because the site

A. marks the location from which Muhammad ascended to heaven

B. includes the foundation stone toward which all pious Muslims pray daily

C. commemorates the location of Muhammad’s house, which was used as the first mosque

D. is the destination for Muslim pilgrims undertaking the hajj

marks the location from which Muhammad ascended to heaven

Which of the following is generally accepted as the reason why the Dome of the Rock was centered around the rock shown in the image?

A. To highlight the rock as the place from which Muhammad began his night journey

B. To acknowledge the importance of the rock in the Jewish and Christian, as well as Islamic, traditions

C. To remind worshipers to strive for humility and simplicity, symbolized by an unadorned rock

D. To symbolically convey the meaning that Muhammad’s teachings are the “rock” of Islamic belief

To highlight the rock as the place from which Muhammad began his night journey

The ornate exterior and interior surface treatments of the Dome of the Rock link this structure to earlier examples of

A. Byzantine mosaic design

B. Early Christian patterned brickwork

C. Greco-Roman sculptural reliefs

D. Persian carpet arabesque patterns

Byzantine mosaic design

One reason for the central plan of the Dome of the Rock is to

A. segregate figures with sacred or imperial authority from the general population

B. house large crowds gathered for congregational worship and communal prayer

C. accommodate the practice of circumambulation around a sacred space within

D. recall the theme of judgment because of its similarity in design to a law court

accommodate the practice of circumambulation around a sacred space within

The Kaaba proved influential on later Islamic architecture because it
A. inspired the enclosed cubic interiors of all mosques

B. serves as the orientation for the qibla wall in all mosques

C. exemplifies a hypostyle hall

D. replicates the house of the Prophet Muhammad at Medina

serves as the orientation for the qibla wall in all mosques

Over the centuries, a wide courtyard was built around the Kaaba in order to

A. separate the crowds of ordinary worshipers from clerics visiting the shrine

B. provide space for chapels dedicated to the important saints that line its periphery

C. provide a large open space for burying the faithful near this sacred site

D. allow large crowds of pilgrims to perform the prescribed ritual of circumambulation

allow large crowds of pilgrims to perform the prescribed ritual of circumambulation

Visitors of the Kaaba approach the shrine in the hope of

A. entering the shrine’s interior to circumambulate the altar contained within

B. leaving offerings that they have brought near the foot of the shrine’s Eastern wall

C. touching the Black Stone, which is embedded in the eastern corner of the Kaaba

D. seeing the ancient statues of saints that are placed in niches in the shrine’s interior

touching the Black Stone, which is embedded in the eastern corner of the Kaaba

The central significance of the Kaaba in Mecca is reflected in other Islamic architecture in that
A. all mosques are placed within a wide outer courtyard to mimic the layout of the Kaaba

B. the plans of all mosques are oriented towards its location, as the center of Islamic prayer

C. all mosques include an ambulatory, as a reference to the movement of pilgrims around the Kaaba

D. its cube-like form constitutes the basic geometric shape on which the plan of all mosques is based

the plans of all mosques are oriented towards its location, as the center of Islamic prayer

Ornamentation on the surfaces of Islamic religious architecture often includes

A. figures of religious leaders

B. mythological characters

C. historical scenes

D. calligraphic panels

calligraphic panels

For a person standing outside of the Great Mosque of Isfahan, the dominant visual element of the mosque is

A. the pathway through a chahar bagh garden that leads to the mosque

B. a monumental gate that is ornamented with calligraphy from the Qur’an

C. the pair of cylindrical minarets that indicate the direction of Islamic prayer

D. an open-air courtyard with a large fountain rising from the middle

the pair of cylindrical minarets that indicate the direction of Islamic prayer

The great Mosque of Isfahan was built with a large sahn (courtyard) in its center in order to

A. house an open air food market for the town’s population throughout the working week

B. provide space for pilgrims to perform the devotional practice of circumambulation

C. accommodate the entire male population of the town during Friday prayers

D. provide the Mosque’s clergy with a private space for prayer and contemplation

accommodate the entire male population of the town during Friday prayers

Which of the following features of the Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh) of Isfahan is typical of Persian architecture?

A. Iwans

B. Pediments

C. Multilobed arches

D. Stained glass

Iwans

At the Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh) at Isfahan, Iran, the qibla iwan reminds worshippers to direct themselves toward the city of Mecca as they pray through the presence of

A. minarets

B. muqarnas

C. a minbar

D. a maqsura

minarets

The detail shown can be attributed to a mosque that was decorated in

A. Safavid Persia, because of its intricately carved stucco capitals that are embossed with gold

B. Safavid Persia, because of its use of curved multicolored ceramic tiles as surface decoration

C. Umayyad Spain, because of its combination of classical and Byzantine motifs in ivory inlay carvings

D. Umayyad Spain, because of its use of mosaic to decorate delicate multilobed arches

Safavid Persia, because of its use of curved multicolored ceramic tiles as surface decoration

The function of the structure is most similar to the function of

A. Great Zimbabwe

B. the Great Stupa at Sanchi

C. the Dome of the Rock

D. the Mosque of Selim II

the Mosque of Selim II

The architects used projecting beams, called toron, in the design of the structure to function primarily as

A. defensive elements

B. permanent scaffolding

C. temporary buttresses

D. directional indicators

permanent scaffolding

The annual preservation of the structure does which of the following?

A. Engages all members of the community in a social activity

B. Promotes the spread of cultural ideals beyond the city

C. Creates the opportunity for ritualized gift exchange

D. Serves as the stimulus for trans-Saharan tourism

Engages all members of the community in a social activity

The Great Mosque of Djenné is situated next to a marketplace for which of the following reasons?

A. To reinforce colonial French authority over Malian culture

B. To emphasize its role as an epicenter of religious and cultural life

C. To support the mosque through commercial industry

D. To reference ancient Roman complexes such as the Forum of Trajan

To emphasize its role as an epicenter of religious and cultural life

What purpose did the architect’s inclusion of ostrich eggs serve at the Great Mosque of Djenné?

A. As a symbolic representation of fertility and purity

B. As a literal connection to the culture associated with the mosque

C. As a literal representation of an important food source

D. As a symbolic representation of the birth of Islam

As a symbolic representation of fertility and purity

Which of the following is a feature of the Great Mosque of Djenné that demonstrates continuity with the West African tradition of building adobe structures?

Responses

A. The construction of an exterior wall to protect the mosque from invaders

B. The inclusion of projecting beams to help with replastering the mosque

C. The placement of the mihrab to indicate the direction of Mecca

D. The position of the mosque near the marketplace to draw in believers

The inclusion of projecting beams to help with replastering the mosque

An aspect of the Great Mosque of Djenné that is unique to Mali architecture and differs from other traditions of mosque construction is the

Responses

A. large sahn courtyard

B. building’s monumental scale

C. three minarets for the muezzin

D. spires surmounted by ostrich eggs

spires surmounted by ostrich eggs

The architects of the Great Mosque of Djenné achieved a rhythmic effect in the facade of the building through the inclusion of a series of

Responses

A. towers and engaged columns

B. pointed arches and windows

C. gateways with decorative sculpture

D. staircases leading to large terraces

towers and engaged columns

The mihrab of the structure is located

A. inside a minaret

B. in the qibla wall

C. in the center of the prayer hall

D. at the entrance to the mosque

in the qibla wall

A principal feature of the interior shown is

A. a basilica plan

B. a central staircase

C. a hypostyle hall

D. ogival arches

a hypostyle hall

Incorporated into the building’s design are voussoirs, which are used to form the

A. bases of the columns

B. horseshoe arches

C. impost blocks

D. mosaic decorations

horseshoe arches

All of the following are part of the structure’s decoration EXCEPT

A. bas relief narratives

B. calligraphic inscriptions

C. reused Roman columns and capitals

D. arabesque patterns

bas relief narratives

The qibla wall in the mosque indicates the direction of prayer toward

A. Rome

B. Constantinople

C. Jerusalem

D. Mecca

Mecca

The mosque shown is located in

A. Spain

B. Syria

C. Turkey

D. Egypt

Spain

The double-tiered columns allowed for all of the following EXCEPT

A. barrel-vaulted roofing

B. decorative rhythm and repetition

C. a higher roof to make up for the short columns

D. the entrance of light and air into the hall

barrel-vaulted roofing

At the Great Mosque of Córdoba, architectural expansion was used by the Umayyads to

A. celebrate their defeat of invading Visigoths

B. reinforce the power and grandeur of their rule

C. promote the adoption of an Abbasid style of architecture

D. render relics more accessible to pilgrims

reinforce the power and grandeur of their rule

The Umayyad architects of the Great Mosque of Córdoba borrowed from the city’s Roman architectural heritage by

A. incorporating columns from older structures

B. incorporating narrative relief carvings

C. using a dome to create a central open space

D. using coffers in the ceiling construction

incorporating columns from older structures

The repetition of architectural elements in the Great Mosque at Córdoba, evident in the plan shown, indicates how the design could do which of the following as it was expanded over time?

A. Guide visitors to follow a prescribed route through the chambers

B. Use sliding temporary walls to create an open and flexible interior

C. Separate secular from sacred space to promote an atmosphere for worship

D. Retain the spatial orientation and reinforce the spiritual purpose of the building

Retain the spatial orientation and reinforce the spiritual purpose of the building

Which of the following was designed by the architect Sinan?

A. The Selimiye Mosque in Edirne

B. The Great Mosque of Córdoba

C. The Taj Mahal in Agra

D. The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem

The Selimiye Mosque in Edirne

In the Mosque of Selim II, the architect Sinan proclaimed the Ottoman sultan’s supremacy over the emperors of Byzantium through all of the following means EXCEPT by

A. creating a central space that surpassed that of Hagia Sophia

B. building on the site of Emperor Justinian’s tomb

C. locating the mosque on the tallest hill overlooking the city

D. adapting the central plan to meet the requirements of Islamic religious practices

building on the site of Emperor Justinian’s tomb

The plan for the Court of the Lions at the Alhambra included an open-air patio with a carved, centrally placed fountain surrounded by ornamental plants, a design that was mainly intended to elicit a sense of

A. awe and respect, because of the difficulty in growing plants in an arid location

B. tranquility and reflection, such as might be experienced in the gardens of paradise

C. ambivalence and unease, because of the lions carved on the marble fountain

D. surprise and puzzlement, brought about by emerging from the interior of the palace into the open-air patio

tranquility and reflection, such as might be experienced in the gardens of paradise