Islamic Flashcards
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, Islamic, 691−692
1st great Islamic monument, 3rd most holy site in Islam, erected in Jerusalem; rock where Muhammad ascended to God - “Night Journey”- site also holy for Judaism & Christianity- 1st/2nd Temples, associated w/ Solomon, site of creation of Adam, place where Abraham sacrificed Isaac
like Byzantine but ornate exterior, blue tiles, Kufic script, geometric patterns; dome on circular drum pierced w/ windows, supported by arcades of alternating piers & columns, creates concentric aisles, visitors can circumambulate
interior: mosaics, vegetal motifs, no representational imagery
The Great Mosque, Kairouan, Tunisia, 836–75
example of an early architectural mosque type, with multi-columned hypostyle prayer hall oriented t/w Mecca; Mosque=masjid=place of prostration
square enclosure framed by courtyard, modelled off of prophet’s home in Medina, minaret= calls faithful to prayer
Qibla wall will niche (mihrab) needlepoint facing Mecca, symbolizes holy place- (like Judaic shrine for Torah or apse in Catholic church)
Qur’an in Kufic script, black ink pigments, and gold on vellum, 9th century
calligraphy- art of hand lettering, held in high esteem
no figural imagery, principal vehicle for visual communication, pure aesthetic pleasure, rhythmic
on vellum (cured hide, calfskin), calligrapher- highest status of all artists (included princes, women); lifetime to master, arduous training
Arabic- read right to left; Kufic- blocky angular Arabic script form, long horizontal swipes
red dots=pronunciation guide
Kufic- most common style- 8th-9th c.- standardized by Ibn Muqla
Sultan Hasan Madrasa-Mausoleum-Mosque Complex, 1356–63
example of more complex Islamic architectural structure, continuous open spaces, uninterrupted by supports; personal status tied to buildings
four-iwan plan (large vaulted halls with arched opening) frames central courtyard, open to sky
mausoleum with dome= burial place, effigies
madrasa (college)- three for classrooms, off side dorms, 4th iwan= main mosque
interior: complex design, Mamluk panels, sharply contrasting marbles (joggled voussoirs= interlocking marble joints), Kufic script above references paradise, Mamluk glass oil lamps
Shah-I Zinda Funerary Complex, Samarkand, Uzbekistan. late 14th-15th century
tombs of Timrud family; Timur was Mongol descendant of Genghis Kahn; Mongol invasions forced artistic exchange- integrate Chinese, Persian, Turkish Mediterranean ideas to Mongol base
this is striking example of hybridization
Architecture: appreciates axial symmetry, double-shelled dome (high drum here), modular planning, cobalt blue, turquoise & white-glazed ceramics
dome inscribed with Quaranic verses in interwoven Kufic calligraphy; interior 8-point star- astronomy
Mina’i bowl with Bahram Qur and Azada, Iran. 12th-13th century.
Islamic society=cosmopolitan, pilgrimage, trade, well-defined road network from Asia- Western Europe
luxury ceramic ware (Mina’i ware- Persian for “enamel”), multicolor overglaze painting
continuous narrative- popular Islamic subject- Bahram Gur- famous for skills in hunting & love, on camel with favorite consort Azada, she belittles hunting skills, he proves marksmanship by pinning hoof & ear of gazelle who lifted to scratch, Azada trampled by camel for mocking him
Muhammad Ibn al-Zain, Baptistery of St. Louis, c. 1300.
most common figural decoration in Islam= hunting/horsemanship, b/c ban on religious imagery
focus on surface decoration, not pictoral depth/illusionistic picture frame
horseman, attendants, soldiers, flacons, running animals- upper register= L to R, lower register= R to L; in negative space- decoration of vegetation, vine-like scrolls- surface decoration like Dome of Rock
in both West & East horsemanship=upper class
Kamal al-din Bihzad, Yusuf Fleeing Zulayhka from a copy of the Bustan of Sa‘Di. Herat, Afghanistan. 1488.
pictoral imagery developed late in Islam- never religious subjects literally- alludes to them poetically, tied to scenes of war, love, hunting
Yusuf & Zulayhka= Joseph & Potiphar’s wife- not Biblical- from poet Jami’s mystical version: Zulayhka built seduction palace for encounter, led from room to room, doors locked behind, fire-haloed Yusuf flees as doors miraculously open- God rescues him
overlapping decorative, ornamental, tile-like design with Kufic script
Sinan, Mosque of Sultan Selim, Edirne, 1568–75, Turkey
Sinan- great architect- meant to be compared to Hagia Sofia- massive dome, radiating half-domes, 4 minarets, but rejects HS’s longitudinal pull t/w apse, truly centrally planned; perfect circle/square motif
move away from hypostyle hall- large, open, uninterrupted interior, but retain decorative elements- alternating red/white brick patterns of Visigoth mosque in Cordoba;
interior inspired by H.S.- dome floating on ring of light, bathed in God’s light, windows penetrating base, walls covered by windows, arches, joggled voussoirs, eye led upward; dome 102’ diameter, >HS, vine-like scrolls, arabesque whiplash patterns, airy feel from many windows; Kufic script describes paradise/heaven
Islam- describes God, Byzantine- shows God
Court of the Lions, Palace of the Lions, Alhambra, Granada, 1354–91
private retreat of Sultan Muhammad V- held banquets, concerts; central courtyard with 12 lions
unique for muqarnas- small, niche-like components, hiding transition from vertical to horizontal plane- look like stalactite formations; Kufic script along column base; excellent acoustics due to geometric complexity
muqarnas dome- star-shaped vault, conceals transition from wall to dome itself, honeycomb of clustered muqarnas arches alternate w/ corner squinches; 8-point star w/ 16 windows
squinches support dome - middle Byzantine
Islamic tradition- dome represents dome of heavens
