HISTORY OF CREATIVE

ART AND DESIGN

Lecture-1

Umayyad Dynasty

After the death ofHazarat Muhammad (P.B.U.H)in 632, a

series of four caliphs (Arabic:khalifa, "successor"), known
as the Rightly Guided, succeeded. Under their command,
the Arab armies carried the new faith from Arabia to the
shores of the Mediterranean and to the eastern reaches
of Iran. However, following the assassination of Hazarat
Ali ibn Abi TalibMuhammad's cousin, son-in-law, and
fourth caliph (r. 65661)in 661, Hazarat Mu cawiya, the
governor of Syria under the Rightly Guided Caliphs,
seized power and established the Umayyad caliphate, the
first Islamic dynasty (661750). During Mu cawiya's reign
(66180), the seat of Islamic power was transferred from
the Arabian Peninsula to Syria. Under Mucawiya's
successors, the important historic city ofDamascuswas
transformed into the capital of an empire that extended
from the Atlantic Oceanto the Indus River

Once the Umayyad got control they

began to conquer new lands
The empire spanned parts of three
continents: Africa, Asia and Europe in
less than 100 years

Umayyad Conquests

The Umayyad period is often considered the

formative period inIslamic art. At first, even
though Arabic became the official language and
Islam the principal religion of the diverse lands
unified under Umayyad rule, artists continued
to work in their established manner.

Umayyad Architecture

Islamic architecture may be identified with the

following design elements, which were inherited
from the first mosque built by Hazarat
Muhammad (P.B.U.H) in Medina, as well as
features adapted from churches.

Minarets or towers
Mihrab or niche on an inside wall indicating
the direction of Mecca
Domes
Use of geometric shapes and repetitive art
(arabesque)
Use of decorative Arabic calligraphy
Ablution fountains

Umayyad Architecture

In the case of religious buildings, the

Umayyads
often
constructed
their
monuments on sites of historical or
symbolic significance

Umayyad religious
architecture

Umayyad
religious
architecture
is
characterized by the use of square or
rectangular structures that include a
courtyard and a prayer hall. Umayyad
prayer halls follow a hypostyle plan, with
their roofs resting on a series of pillars or
columns. The hypostyle hall would
continue to be used in many later
Abbasid prayer halls.

Umayyads Architecture

Large-scale building projects, such as the Dome of

the Rock in Jerusalem and the Great Mosque in
Damascus, demonstrated the Umayyads artistic and
political ambitions. They were built on sites where the
temples and churches of other religions had stood
before, and were embellished with extensive mosaic
decorations and monumental Koranic sayings.
The Umayyads palaces and hunting lodges in Syria
were also richly ornamented, both inside and out.
Sculptures and murals with princes and dancing girls
show that rulers led a life of luxury in these desert
palaces.

Common Interpretations of
Islamic Architecture

The concept of Allah's infinite power is evoked

by designs with repeating themes.
Human and animal forms are rarely depicted in
decorative art as Allah's work is matchless.
Calligraphy is used to enhance the interior of a
building by providing quotations from the
Qur'an.
Islamic architecture focuses on the beauty of the
interior rather than exterior spaces.
Use of impressive forms such as large domes,
towering minarets, and large courtyards are
intended to convey power.

Dome of the Rock,

Jerusalem, Palestine

The most famous Islamic site inJerusalemis theDome of

Rock(Qubbat as-Sakhrah). An impressive and beautiful edifice,
Dome of the Rock can be seen from all over Jerusalem. It is
crowning glory of the Haram es-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary"),
Temple Mount.

the
the
the
or

The Dome of the Rock is not amosque, but a Muslim shrine. Like
theKa'bainMecca, it is built over asacred stone. This stone is
believed to be the place from which the Prophet Muhammad
ascended into heaven during his Night Journey to heaven.

The Dome of the Rock is theoldest Islamic monumentthat stands

today and certainly one of the most beautiful. It also boasts the oldest
surviving mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca) in the world.

Thesacred rockover which the Dome of the Rock is built was

considered holy before the arrival of Islam. Jews believed, and still
believe, the rock to be the very place whereAbrahamprepared to
sacrifice Isaac (an event which Muslims place in Mecca)

What to See at the Dome of the

Rock

The extraordinary visual impact of the Dome of the Rock is in part due
to themathematical rhythmof its proportions. All the critical
dimensions are related to the center circle that surrounds the sacred
stone. For example, each outer wall is 67 feet long, which is exactly
the dome's diameter and exactly its height from the base of the drum.
The same principles were used in Byzantine churches of Italy, Syria,
and Palestine.

The dome is topped by afull moondecoration which evokes the

familiar crescent moon symbol of Islam. It is aligned so that if you
could look through it, you would be looking straight towards Mecca.

The Arabicinscriptionaround the octagonal part of the Dome of the

Rock are verses from the Qur'an. Arabic inscription tells of the Night
Journey of Muhammad as described in the Qur'an

Themosaicsof the interior feature both realistic and stylized

representations of vegetation and related themes (Muslim law forbids
the representation of living beings in art).

Thecolumnssupporting the inner octagon and the center

circle are of different sizes; they were recycled from
previous structures.

Thecupola, the interior of the great golden dome, features

elaborate floral decorations in red and gold, as well as
various inscriptions.

Umayyad mosque in
Damascus

The interior walls of Great Mosque of Damascus

have stone mosaics that depict crowns,
fantastic plants, realistic trees, and even empty
towns.
This is thought to represent Paradise for the
faithful Muslim.
The Great Mosque of Damascus used the Syrian
cut-stone technique of building and popularized
the use of the dome.

The walls of the mosque were once covered with more

than an acre of mosaics depicting a fanciful landscape
thought to be the Qurnic paradise, but only
fragments survive. The mosque was destroyed by
Timur in 1401, rebuilt by the Arabs, and damaged by
fire in 1893. Although it could not be restored to its
original splendour, the mosque is still an impressive
architectural monument.

Desert Palaces

The Umayyads palaces and hunting

lodges in Syria were also richly
ornamented, both inside and out.
Sculptures and murals with princes
and dancing girls show that rulers
led a life of luxury in these desert
palaces.

Desert Palaces

Umayyad desert palaces, often called qasr, were

princely residences built as hunting retreats or
places to stay in while the rulers toured the
country. Most of them were based on Roman and
Byzantine fortresses and were surrounded by
irrigated agricultural estates. They were typically
made of brick or stone, square or rectangular in
plan, and entered through a large portal. Their
interiors were decorated with carved stucco
reliefs, painted frescoes, and mosaics.

The largest isQasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi.

Qasr Kharana
Qasr Amra
Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi

Decorative technique

Relief Craving
Mosaic
Ashlar Masonary

Stucco Relief

Stucco or render is a
material made
of aggregates, a binder,
and water. Stucco is
applied wet and hardens to
a very dense solid.

Products

Apart from architecture, there are few

artistic remains from the Umayyad
period, and they are closely related to
Late Antique, Byzantine, and Sasanian
art. Works of art are often embellished
with figurative elements such as animals
and plants, frequently found as parts of
large decorative patterns.

Products

Parchment leaf from a Koran

written in earlyKufi

Syria; 1st half of 8th century

The script on this leaf from an early

Koran with a vertical format is a
precursor ofKuficalligraphy, which
was to be the dominant type used for
Korans in the 9th century. Almost none
of the diacritical marks are found here
that were later commonly used to
distinguish among consonants and to
denote vowels

The leaf (both sides) contains the

verses from the end ofsura90 to the
beginning ofsura93, and the
individual chapters are separated by
ornamented, colored bars extending
from margin to margin

SLAB

The faded black paint used

to inscribe this limestone
slab does not permit a
proper reading of the text,
which was written in a
cursive script typical of the
early Islamic era

The text, beginning with the

standard formula "In the
name of Allah, the Merciful,
the Compassionate,"

Earthenware cup with molded

decoration and yellow and green
glazes

Iraq or Syria; 8th-9th century

The cup was given uniform, fairly

small-patterned decorations in low
relief. This type of decoration was
found in the Umayyad period,

Decorations like these with

rosettes, a scale-like pattern, etc.
could be applied to the finished piece
by repeatedly using one or more
stamps of different types.

Bronze was used extensively

in the early Islamic period.
Judging from the pierced
decoration, this object might
have been part of a lamp or
an incense burner, its pierced
surfaces perfect for allowing
light and scented smoke to
pass through. The exterior is
decorated with a horizontal
band with alternating,
interlacing roundels
containing birds and stylized
plants. The bottom also
features stylized plant
designs arranged radially.

Woven Tapestry Fragment,

Umayyad period (661750), mid8th
century
Iran, Iraq, or Egypt
Wool; tapestry weave; L. 12 in. (30.5
cm), W. 18 3/4 in. (47.6 cm)

Ewer, 8thearly 9th century

Probably Syria
Bronze, cast, engraved, and
pierced; H. 15 1/2 in. (39.4 cm)

Coinage

The Umayyads took many features from

the territories that they had conquered,
but a new Islamic culture also slowly
began to take form. At the same time,
the realms new subjects adopted the
Arabic language and Islam. A powerful
symbol of the new empire was the
development of a special Islamic
coinage.

Coinage

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