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

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