Islamic Art

  • Islamic Religion: Monotheistic
  • Fusion of Secular and Religious ideas
  • Religious acts are private, no intermediary like priests/rabbis
  • Mosque: hypostyle Hall
    • Qibla wall: wall closest to Mecca, people pray in it’s direction
    • Mihrab: Focal point/niche in the Qibla, where Mohammed placed himself during prayer
    • Minaret: tower where one would call the faithful to pray
    • Minaret at Samarra: spiraling 165ft tower, figure of power
  • Hypostyle Hall: many columns
  • Cordoba: Islamic Capital of Spain
  • Mosque, Cordoba (Spain) , 8-10th cent.
    • Cordoba’s Mosque had: hypostyle hall, double tiered arches
    • Architects added pillars onto capitals w/ double arches
    • voussoirs were alternating red and white
    • Filled with colored carpeting
    • Mihrab also had decorative voussoirs
    • non functional dome, multilobed squinches
  • Alambra, Granada (Spain), 1354-1391
    • Palace of the Lions: Mohammed the V
    • Court of the Lions, Alambra
    • colonnettes, decorative stucco work
    • Hall of the Two Sisters, Alambra
    • squinches modeled the lace, organic patterns
    • modeled like sunrays somewhat
    • stalactite forms
  • Taj Mahal, Agra (India), 1632-1654
    • Monument built from Shah Jahan’s love of his wife who passed in childbirth
    • Double Curves in Domes, like air filled balloons
    • Central Opening:
    • Piers and arches w/ counter curves called “pointed arch”
  • Carpet, Mosque pf Shah Tahmasp, Iran, ca. 1540
    • 34 1/2 ft long, 17 ft. wide
    • Wool back, silk filaments
    • Dome with Lamps hanging down