Islamic Art

Chronology of Early Islam

Muhammad Born in Mecca ca. 570

Muhammad’s First Revelation 610

Muhammad’s Flight to Medina (Hijra)622

Muhammad Dies in Medina 632

Five Pillars of Islam

Faith There is no God but God; Muhammad is his messenger

Prayer Salat–obligatory prayers said five times daily

Charity Zakat–“purification” or “growth”

Fasting during month of Ramadan

Pilgrimage Hajj–trip to Mecca once in a lifetime

some go yearly during Ramadan

Early Islamic Art

&

Umayyad Art

Dome of the Rock

Jerusalem

687-692

Dome of the Rock

Jerusalem

687-692

Dome of the Rock (interior)

Jerusalem

687-692

THE MOSQUE

Aerial view of the Great Mosque, Damascus, Syria, 706-715

Great Mosque

Damascus, Syria

706-715

The mirhrab is a niche in the quibla wall (MN-QW: alphabetical!)

Mosaic from CourtyardGreat Mosque

Damascus, Syria

706-715

Plan of the Umayyad Palace

Mshatta, Jordan

ca. 740-750

Detail of the Friezeof the Umayyad Palace

Mshatta, Jordan

ca. 740 - 750limestone16 ft. 7 in. high

Frieze of the Umayyad Palace

Mshatta, Jordan

ca. 740 - 750limestone16 ft. 7 in. high

Baghdad & Abbasid Art

Aerial view of the Great Mosque

Qayrawan, Tunisia

ca. 836-875

Plan of the Great Mosque

Qayrawan, Tunisia

ca. 836-875

Malwiya minaret of the Great Mosque

Samarra, Iraq

ca. 848-852

Malwiya minaret and Great Mosque

Samarra, Iraq

ca. 848-852

Mausoleum of the Samanids

Bukhara, Uzbekistan

early 10th century

Umayyad Art in Iberia

Entrance to the Great Mosque

Córdoba, Spain

8th to 10th centuries

Prayer hall of the Great Mosque

Córdoba, Spain

8th to 10th centuries

Maqsura of the Great Mosque

Córdoba, Spain

961-965

Dome in front of the mihrabof the Great Mosque

Córdoba, Spain

961-965

Islamic Luxury Arts

Confronting lions and palm tree

fragment of a textile from Zandana, Uzbekistan

8th centurysilk compound twill2 ft. 11 in. x 2 ft. 9 1/2 in.

Sulayman

Ewer in the form of a bird

796brass with silver and copper inlay1 ft. 3 in. high

Quran page with the beginning of surah 18, al Kahf (The Cave)

9th or early 10th centuryink and gold on vellum7 1/4 in. x 10 1/4 in.

Tesselations

DEC

OR

ATIV

E

MO

TIF

S

Arabesque

Detail of mosque wall

Nasrid Art in Iberia

Court of LionsAlahambra Palace

Granada, Spain

1354-1391

Court of LionsAlahambra Palace

Granada, Spain

1354-1391

Muqarnas dome, hall of the Two SistersAlahambra Palace

Granada, Spain

1354-1391

Mamluk Art

Madrasa-mosque-mausoleum complex of Sultan Hasan

Cairo, Egypt

1356-1363

plan of the Madrasa - Mosque - Mausoleum complex of Sultan Hasan

Cairo, Egypt

Qibla wall, main iwanMadrasa-mosque-mausoleum complex of Sultan Hasan

Cairo, Egypt

1356-1363

Ottoman Turkish Art

Sinan

Mosque of Selim II

Edirne, Turkey

1568-1575

Sinan

plan of Mosque of Selim II

Edirne, Turkey

1568-1575

Sinan

Mosque of Selim II (interior)

Edirne, Turkey

1568-1575

Seljuk Art

Courtyard of the Great Mosque

Isfahan, Iran

11th to 17th centuries

Dome of the Shah Mosque

Isfahan, Iran

1611-1638

Mihrab from the Madrasa Imami

Isfahan, Iran

ca. 1354glazed mosaic tilework11 ft. 3 in. x 7 ft. 6 in.

Winter pray hall of the Shahi (Imam) Mosque

Isfahan, Iran

ca. 1611-1638

Timurid Art

Bihzad

Seduction of Yusuf from Bustan of Sultan Husayn Mayqara

Heart, Afghanistan

ca.11488

ink an d color on paper13 x 9 in.

Safavid Art

Sultan-Muhammad

The court of Gayumarsdetail of folio 20 verso of the Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp

Tabriz, Iran

ca.1525-1535ink, watercolor and gold on paper13 x 9 in.

Sultan-Muhammad

The court of Gayumarsdetail of folio 20 verso of the Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp

Tabriz, Iran

ca.1525-1535ink, watercolor and gold on paper13 x 9 in.

Sultan-Muhammad

The court of Gayumarsdetail of folio 20 verso of the Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp

Tabriz, Iran

ca.1525-1535ink, watercolor and gold on paper13 x 9 in.

Maqsud of Kashan

Carpet from the funerary mosque of Shaykh Safi al-Din

Ardabil, Iran

1540knotted pile of wood and silk34 ft. 6 in. x 17 ft. 7 in.

Mosque lamp of Sayf al-Din Tuquztimur

From Egypt

1340 CE

Glass with enamel

Taj Mahal

Agra, India

1632-1647

Mughal Art

Sub-Saharan Islamic Art

Eastern façade of Friday Mosque

Djenne, Mali

13th century, rebuilt 1906-07

Eastern façade of Friday Mosque

Djenne, Mali

13th century, rebuilt 1906-07