APAH Islamic Art – Ch. 8 guide Mr.

Ford

When we looked at Byzantine art, we examined the art of a political entity that endured--
more or less successfully--for almost a thousand years. Having a capital and an emperor
helps to insure a modicum of stylistic cohesion. Islamic culture, from the ninth century
onward, advanced without that political cohesion. The cohesiveness of Islamic culture was
maintained by a shared faith. Even so, Islamic art has a history of remarkable diversity and
regional identities. One of the objectives of this brief introduction to the richness of Islamic
culture is to gain an appreciation for both the diversity and for the power of inventiveness
that accompanied Islamic art wherever it appeared (a power, by the way, that can be seen
in Islam's science, math, and geography as well).

Key Concepts

• Iconoclasm
Islamic art is aniconic—that is, there is little or no figurative imagery present. Surface decoration is the
hallmark of Islamic art, a mixture of geometric patterns and scrolling organic forms.

• Spread of Islam
Muslims spread their religion and their culture rapidly during the Middle Ages, moving throughout the
Arabian Peninsula and into Egypt, Asia, and Europe, especially Spain. Wherever they went, local artistic
traditions influenced Islamic art. In analyzing Islamic art, students should pay close attention to the
region from which a given example comes for clues to the origins of its stylistic elements.

Learning Goals
 Understand European (e.g., Roman and Byzantine) influences on Islamic architecture (Dome of the
Rock, the Great Mosque in Cordoba, the Alhambra, and the Mosque of Selim).
 Specific elements of Mosque design and architecture: floor plan, arches, domes, towers/minarets, and
ornament (both interior and exterior).
 Regional influence: Draw a clear lineage from earlier architecture of the region to the structures we will
be studying. What elements in particular stand out as showing regional influence? In what ways does
the ornamentation reveal local traditions (e.g., if there are figurative elements, where did they come
from?)?

Key Words and Terms

• calligraphy • horseshoe • illuminator

• aniconic arch • miniature
• mosque • voussoir • tugras
• minbar
• drum • ogival arch
• frieze • muqarnas
• rosette • corbeled
• sahn squinch
• qibla • ziggurat
• mihrab • vellum
• maqsura • mirador
• minaret • squinch
• hypostyle • iwan
• hypostyle • fritware
halls • lusterware
• four-iwan • tapestry
mosque • warp
• madrasa • weft
Research assignment (2-4 pages) Due__________: Discuss European influences on Islamic
architecture. Explain those elements as illustrated in one building. Some likely examples might be the
Great Mosque in Cordoba, the Alhambra, and the Mosque of Selim. Note: You may use Dome of
Rock but must compare with a structure other than Church of Old St. Peter’s.

Some specific elements that students should include in their papers are floor plan, arches, domes,
towers/minarets, and ornament (both interior and exterior). Roman and Byzantine architecture will
likely be the best places for students to begin their comparisons.

Discussion Questions: Due_________

1) Discuss the ways in which Islam so swiftly established itself as a major player in world
history. Why the appeal? Discuss the basic tenets of Islam. What are some connections with the
older religions of Judaism and Christianity?
2) Decorative impulses were nurtured in part by the Islamic reluctance to depict the human
figure. Discuss the relationship between abstraction and figuation in Islamic art.
3) Discuss the use and function of the dome in Islamic architecture. How does this compare
with Early Christian architecture?
4) Discuss the function and design of the three basic types of mosques.
5) The so-called "decorative arts" of vessel making and weaving are major arts in Islamic
history. Discuss the significance in terms of Islamic culture.