Islamic Architecture and Art

Architecture and Art in the Islamic World

Introduction

This lecture supplements the textbook's imagery with additional visuals and information, focusing on architecture in the Islamic world. It also will reference Western art (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and European) for comparison, though these cultures will not be the primary focus.

Map and Key Locations

The lecture will cover architecture in:

  • Saudi Arabia (Mecca and Medina)
  • Syria (Great Mosque of Damascus)
  • Jerusalem
  • Along the Silk Road: Samarra, Isfahan, and Samarkand (Uzbekistan).

The Silk Road had both overland (yellow line) and nautical (blue lines) routes.

Caravan Serai

The caravan serai can be considered precursors to modern rest areas on highways. More information can be found in the VSCS library system under Films on Demand, specifically Sam Willis's "The Silk Road."

The Kaaba in Mecca

The Kaaba is located in Mecca, where Mohammed was born.

  • The word "Kaaba" means cube in Arabic.
  • It is 49 feet tall and made of granite, sitting on a marble base.
  • The cloth covering it, called a kizwa, is made of black silk.
  • A gold band with Arabic verses from the Quran runs around it.
  • The kizwa is changed annually.

During the Hajj, people walk around the Kaaba seven times, starting at the eastern corner, where a black stone is located. This circular walking is called circumambulation.

Inside the Kaaba:

  • There is no electricity; golden lamps (likely oil lamps) hang from pillars.
  • Inscriptions are from the Quran.

Dome of the Rock

From the September 2023 issue of National Geographic:

  • The Dome of the Rock is located in Jerusalem's sacred acropolis, known as the Temple Mount to Jews and Christians and the Haram Al Sharif to Muslims.
  • It is Islam's oldest building, with access restricted to Muslims.
  • The structure has survived various threats, including looters, earthquakes, and religious strife.

Inside the Dome of the Rock, beneath the dome, is the rock where Mohammed ascended to heaven and received the message to pray five times a day.

  • Worn marble steps lead to the Well of Souls, a rough-hewn grotto.
  • Muslim tradition says the waters of paradise flow under the cave.
  • Some Christians and Jews believe it conceals a secret passage with valuable artifacts.

Muslims consider it Islam’s most important site after Mecca and Medina, while Palestinians view it as a symbol of their nation. Some religious Jews and evangelical Christians believe it should be replaced by a new temple, leading to regional political tensions.

The Dome

The dome was invented by the Romans. An example is the Pantheon in Rome, featuring a coffered ceiling (recessed panels) and a round design. The circle in the middle of the Pantheon's dome is open to the elements.

Great Mosque of Damascus

The Great Mosque of Damascus is recognized by its glittering mosaics on the exterior. Theories about the mosaics' themes were presented in the book.

A spandrel is a colonnade at the entrance to the mosque. Mosaics also depict a hippodrome, an oval stadium for horse and chariot races.

Great Mosque of Cordova (Spain)

Many mosques are called the Great Mosque or Friday Mosque (because Muslims are expected to pray at the mosque on Fridays).

During that time, Spain (Al Andalus) was considered the most cultured kingdom in medieval Europe, advancing humanistic learning, arts, math, and science.

The mosque features alternating red and white stones on barrel vaults. Round arches or barrel vaults were a Roman invention. Islamic and Christian architects used the structures.

Example: Pont Du Gard, an aqueduct in Southern France.

Christians eventually converted the Great Mosque of Cordoba into a church, overlaying one religion on top of the other.

The mihrab is a niche in the qibla wall (which faces Mecca). The ceiling in front of the mihrab features a rib vault, considered a Muslim invention, expanding on the Roman barrel vault.

Mukorna's

Mukorna's can be seen at a portal in Isfahan, Iran. They are tear-shaped or honeycomb-shaped niches that are decorative and lighten heavy structural elements.

Alhambra

The Alhambra was founded by Sultan Mohammed I in the 11th century in Spain (Kingdom of Al Andalus). The Court of the Lions is an easily recognizable image from the Alhambra and will be on the exam.

Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia means "holy wisdom" in Latin. It has been historically significant and has undergone many iterations. Originally, it was built as the easternmost part of the ancient Roman Empire (Byzantium). Roman Emperor Justinian hired Greek architects to design it.

Without the four minarets, one can see the original structure. It was the largest dome and interior space in the world for many years.

Constantine the Great moved his capital from Rome to Byzantium, converted to Christianity, and renamed the city Constantinople.

Istanbul has always been a center of commerce and culture, located on a peninsula between the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea.

In 1453, the Ottoman Turks (Sunni Muslims) captured Constantinople and changed the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. They covered Christian iconography with rondels featuring Arabic calligraphy.

Islamic architects made additions, including Arabic writing around the dome's center. The Muslims plastered over many of the mosaics and paintings, destroying much of the mosaic work.

Byzantine mosaic work is Christian-themed, using glass tiles with gold flakes.

In the 1930s, the Hagia Sophia was changed from a mosque into a museum when Turkey became an independent republic and was protected by UNESCO for decades. In 2020, the Turkish president decreed it to be a mosque again, losing its UNESCO protection, which caused controversy.

Selimie Kami Mosque

This mosque was constructed about 100 years after the Ottoman Turks occupied Istanbul and dedicated to Selim II. It is also known as the Selimie Kami and located in Edirne, Turkey. Sinan the Great was the architect.

It contains red and white stonework and the interior of the Selimie Mosque features tile work with aniconic designs based mostly on plant forms and geometry.

The design of the interior dome has similarities to the Hagia Sophia.

Minbar is present in the interior. Arabesque tile work is also present.

Arabesque design (Saaz style) consists of mathematically complex arrangements based on leaves, flowers, tendrils, and vines.

Mukorna's are niche-shaped forms that make heavy stonework look lighter.

Islamic Architectural Characteristics

Mosques possess tall spires called minarets, which are used for the call to prayer. Islamic arches are very wide.

Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

The Registan Square features madrasas (schools). Tile work designs are more geometric, with hard right angles.

The style of tile work and design is called Kufic, named after Kufa in Iraq, and is characterized by right angles and geometry. Kufic calligraphy is also visible.

Great Mosque of Samarra

It was built in the 9th century and is now in ruins, covering about 10 acres. It features a unique spiral minaret.

Faisal Mosque, Islamabad, Pakistan

Built without a dome, its style was controversial. The roof shape is based on a Bedouin tent. The minarets are 260 feet tall. It can hold up to 300,000 worshipers (200,000 exterior, 100,000 interior).

The interior prayer hall can hold up to 10,000 worshipers. A crescent moon shape is present at the top, common in many mosques and on flags of Islamic nations. The crescent moon became a symbol of the Muslim world during the Ottoman Empire when the Turks conquered Constantinople in 1453.

Carpets

The Artefield carpet is 35 feet long. Some rugs are Soumak, where the third layer of threads is wrapped around the bottom two woven threads, creating thickness without pile.

All rugs are symmetrical and follow the aniconic ideal, typically featuring arabesque designs with interwoven leaves and tendrils.

Suleiman the Magnificent

Suleiman was a Sultan (political leader) in Turkey, called Suleiman the Magnificent. He was a trained goldsmith and a patron of the arts. His tugra (signature or monogram) is a fluid example of arabesque design, suggesting a joyful, bountiful paradise.

Kubik Design

Kubik design has long horizontal strokes and right angles. An ornamented page from the Quran uses Kubic script.

Illustrated Manuscripts

Illustrated manuscripts were not unique to Islamic cultures. Example: The book of Kells (Celtic).

The Makkamat is a secular book done in a decorative style. It features a lot of pattern, and there's no real attempt at shading or making things look three-dimensional. The purpose is to tell a story rather than to paint in a as if you're seeing all objects from a single viewpoint to get the illusion of three dimensions.

Shahnameh means Book of Kings. The Mongol Shahnameh was created during the Mongol invasion of Islamic lands and glorifies the current Shah.

Persian Painting

Characteristics of Islamic painting from this period include doll-like figures in a world of crystal-clear color.

Arabesque Tiles

Blue and white tiles originated in Iraq and Iran and were then adopted by the Chinese.

Secular Art

Examples include a lake from a throne and other functional art, like furniture and dishes.