Art History
AP Art History
Unit 7: West and Central Asia, 500 BCE–1980 CE
Muhammad
Calligraphy
Arabesque
Pyxis-of-al-Mughir
Pyxis-of-al-Mughir
Folio-from-a-Qur’an-Arab
Basin
Ardabil-Carpet
Islamic-Art
Islamic-Art
The-Court-of-Gayumars
Mecca
Islamic-Architecture
Islamic-Architecture
The-Kaaba
The-Kaaba
Great-Mosque
Alhambra
Court-of-the-Lions
Hall-of-the-Sisters
Mosque-of-Selim-II
Taj-Mahal
University/Undergrad
Muhammad (570?-632)
The Prophet whose revelations and teachings form the foundation of Islam
Quran
the Islamic sacred text, dictated to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel
Calligraphy
decorative or beautiful handwriting
Arabesque
a flowing, intricate, and symmetrical pattern deriving from floral motifs
Kufic
a highly ornamental Islamic script
Tessellation
decoration using polygonal shapes with no gaps
Jali
perforated ornamental stone screens in Islamic art
Pyxis
a small cylinder-shaped container with a detachable lid used to contain cosmetics or jewelry
Shahnama, or The Book of Kings
a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Firdawsi between c. 977 and 1010 c.e
Qibla
the direction toward Mecca which Muslims face in prayer
Mecca and Medina
Islamic holy cities;
Mecca
is the birthplace of Muhammad and the city all Muslims turn to in prayer;
Medina
is where Muhammad was first accepted as the Prophet, and where his tomb is located
Minaret
a tall, slender column used to call people to prayer
Muezzin
an Islamic official who calls people to prayer traditionally from a minaret
Hypostyle
a hall that has a roof supported by a dense thicket of columns
Mihrab
a central niche in a mosque, which indicates the direction to Mecca
Muqarna
a honeycomb-like decoration often applied in Islamic buildings to domes, niches, capitals, or vaults
Iwan
a rectangular vaulted space in a Muslim building that is walled on three sides and open on the fourth
Madrasa
a Muslim school or university often attached to a mosque
Mausoleum
a building, usually large, that contains tombs
Minbar
a pulpit from which sermons are given
Squinch
the polygonal base of a dome that makes a transition from the round dome to a flat wall
Voussoirs (pronounced "vōō-swar")
a wedge-shaped stone that forms the curved part of an arch; the central voussoir is called a keystone
Hajj
an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that is required of devout Muslims as one of the five pillars of Islam
Muqarnes
an ornamental and intricate vaulting placed on the underside of arches
Sahn
a courtyard in Islamic architecture
Hypostyle mosque
no central focus, no congregational worship
Charbagh
a rectangular garden in the Persian tradition that is based on the four gardens of Paradise mentioned in the Quran
Prophet Muhammad
The _____’s powerful religious message resonated deeply with Arabs in the seventh century, and so by the end of the Umayyad Dynasty in 750 C.E., North Africa, the Middle East and parts of Spain, India, and Central Asia were converted to Islam or were under the control of Islamic dynasties.
Abbasid Caliphate
The Islamic world expanded under the ____, which ruled a vast empire from their capital in Baghdad.
Apprenticeships
____ were exacting, making students master everything including the manufacture of ink and the correct posture for sitting while writing.
acanthus and split leavesscrolling vinesspirals, wheelszigzags.
Favorite arabesque motifs
straightedge and compass
All of these designs, no matter how complicated, were achieved with only ______.
central point
Patterns seem to radiate from a _____, although any point can be thought of as the start.
geometric elements
Islamic mathematicians were thinkers of the highest order; ____ reinforced their idea that the universe is based on logic and a clear design.
Pyxis of al-Mughir
Horror vacui.Intricately carved container made from elephant ivory. Container for expensive aromatics
Folio from a Qur’an, Arab
The title of each chapter is scripted in gold. Kufic script; strong uprights and long horizontals. Illustrated is the heading of sura 29 (al-’Ankabūt, or “The Spider”) in gold.
Basin (Baptistère de Saint Louis)
Designed by Muhammad ibn al-Zain. Original use is for ceremonial hand washing. Hunting scenes alternate with battle scenes along the side of the bowl.
The Ardabil Carpet
Designed by Maqsud of KashanPrayer carpet used at a pilgrimage site of a Sufi saint. Wool carpet, woven by ten people, probably menWool pile of 5,300 knots per 10 cm. sq
Bahram Gur
He was an ancient Iranian king from the Sassanian dynasty. He represents the ideal king; wears a crown and a golden halo.
karg
is a kind of unicorn or horned wolf he fought during his trip to India.
Bahram Gur Fights the Karg
Folio from the Great Il-Khanid Shahnama, Islamic; Persian. The original story by Firdawsi was written around 1010. Commissioned by a high-ranking Ilkhanid court official
The Court of Gayumars
The original story by Firdawsi was written around 1010. Folio from the text called the Great Ilkhanid Shahnama or the Book of Kings, a Persian epic. Produced for the Safavid ruler of Iran, Shah Tahmasp I Whole book contains 258 illustrated pages.
The Kaaba
Rededicated by Muhammad in 631–632Multiple renovations; granite masonry, covered with silk curtain, and calligraphy in gold and silver-wrapped threadbeen built by Ibrahim and Ishamel for God
Dome of the Rock
Pilgrimage site for the faithful. Not a mosque; its original function has been debated. Meant to rival the Christian church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, although it was inspired by its domed rotunda. Erected by Abd al-Malik
Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh)
Muslim mosque. Each side of the courtyard, or sahn, has a centrally placed iwan; may be the first mosque to have this feature. This mosque is nestled in an urban center; many gates give access. The mosque’s outside walls share support with other buildings.
qibla iwan
is the largest and most decorative in the great mosque; its size indicates the direction to Mecca.
Southern iwan
is an entry for a private space used by the sultan and his retinue; its dome is adorned by decorative tiles; this contains the main mihrab of the mosque.
Great Mosque (Umayyad Dynasty)
The site was originally a Roman temple dedicated to Janus, then a Visigothic church, and then the mosque was built. Complex dome with elaborate squinches was built over the mihrab; it was inspired by Byzantine architecture. Kufic calligraphy on walls and vaults.
Alcazaba
oldest section and is visible from the exterior.double-walled fortress of solid and vaulted towers containing barracks, cisterns, baths, houses, storerooms, and a dungeon.
Alhambra
Small, low-bubbling fountains in each room contribute to cool temperatures in the summer. Inspired by the Charbagh gardens from Persia. Light, airy interiors; fortress-like exterior. Contains palaces, gardens, water pools, fountains, courtyards.
Court of the Lions
Form Built by Muhammad V between 1370 and 1391. Intricately patterned and sculpted ceilings and walls. Central fountain supported by 12 protective lions; animal imagery permitted in secular monuments. Parts of the walls are chiseled through to create vibrant light patterns within.
Hall of the Sisters
Sixteen small windows are placed at the top of hall; light dissolves into a honeycomb of stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Perhaps used as a music room or for receptions.The hall was built by order of Mohammed V.
Mosque of Selim II
Designed by Mimar SinanInspired by Hagia Sophia, but a centrally planned building. Open airy interior contrasts with conventional mosques that have partitioned interiors.
Taj Mahal
Built as the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan’s wife; the shah was interred next to her after his death. Translated to mean “crown palace.” Grounds represent a vast funerary garden, the gardens found in heaven in the Islamic tradition.