Great Mosque at Cordoba

8th-10th centuries AD
Spain
Expanded 4 times
As the base was expanded outward the roof was raised to allow
more air flow and make it seem less stuffy
Double arches supported the higher roof
The stripes on the arches made them pop
As the walls expanded the mihrab moved to stay in the center of
the quibla wall
The new mihrab design used intertwining scalloped arches
Christians remodeled the shrine as a church when the recaptured
the city from the Muslims
A cathedral can be seen in the center of the mosque
Both conforms to the basic principles of mosque design and
incorporates distinctive regional forms
 Dome of the Rock

AD 687-692
Jerusalem
Believed to be the place of the Al-Aqsa Mosque where
Muhammad went on his Night Journey
In the night journey Muhammad was transported to the
mosque where a Buraq (horse with a womans head)
descended and took Muhammad to heaven where he met the
old prophets
Place of original creation
Is a shrine NOT a mosque
Modeled after the Church of the Holy Sepulche where it is believed
that Christ was resurrected
2 major meanings
Visual symbol of Islams superiority in monotheism
Asserts an Islamic presence in Jerusalem over the Christians
Tells the Christians that they are wrong
An inscription in the ceiling addresses the Christian population
to tell them that Jesus is no more than a prophet
The plain exterior serves as a contrast to the elaborate interior
The pillars in the dome were recycled from an old church
(crosses can be seen)
Spolia: Using parts from an old building in a new one
Mosaics
Great Mosque at Damascus

AD 706-715
Syria
Built on the site of a Christian church
Architecture ideas borrowed from the Roman/Byzantine Empire
Arcade: Row of arches
Dome
Faade
Includes many features that were later added to most mosques
Hypostyle Hall: A hall with a roof supported by a forest of
columns
Mihrab: A niche in the quibla wall that points to Mecca
Minaret: A tower attached to a mosque complex
Signal of dominance, presence, power
Similar to Christian bell tower
Sometimes used as call to prayer but not the intended
purpose
 Great Mosque at
Kairouan

AD 836-875
Tunisia
Most closely resemble Mohammads home
Stone wall with sturdy buttresses
Impressive minaret and two domes, one over entrance bay and one
over mihrab


Hypostyle mosque
Malwiya Minaret

AD 848-852
Found at the Mosque at Samarra in Iraq
Mawiya means snail shell
Serves to announce the presence of Islam in the Tigris valley
Design based on Mesopotamian ziggurat
Friday Mosque at Isfahan

AD 11th-17th centuries
Iran
Friday is the holy day of Islam
Large vaulted openings for madrasa(religious school)
4 iwans
Iwan: A large vaulted chamber with a monumental arched
opening on one side
 The quibla has the larges iwan containing elaborate blue tiles
and a dome

Surah 18 from a Koran

9th-10th centuries AD
Ink and gold on vellum
Written in Kufic script form
Chapter title is in gold with palm tree finial (crowning ornament)
Red dots indicate vowels
Mosque of Selim II

AD 1568-1575
Edirne, Turkey
Commissioned by Sultan Selim II
Artist/Architect: Sinan the Great
Serves as a response to the Hagia Sofias large dome
The dome sits over the center instead of the mihrab to crown the
structure
Perfectly proportionate (1:2)
The 4 minarets symbolize the Ottomans power
Mihrab from the Madrasa Imami
 AD 1354
Isfahan, Iran
Great work of calligraphy
White writing on dark background is balanced by dark writing on
a light background
Bears an inscription from the Koran
Arabesque: Complicated, intertwined, flowing design of stylized
floral and plant motifs
Masterful mosaics
Architectural surface transformed into a textile surface
Maqsud of Kashan, Funerary Carpet of Shaykh Safi al-
Din

AD 1540
Iran
Wool and silk interwoven with gold and gems
Reflects the promise of Islamic paradise
Bowls of fruit and flowers would enhance the experience by adding
scent
Is a woven reflecting pool with floating flowers
The pool reflects the dome and lanterns of the mosque
The larger lantern may point to the qibla or may be to give
perspective
 Bihzad, Seduction of
Yusuf

AD 1488
Afghanistan
Ink and color on paper
Illustrated copy of Bustan owned by the sultan
The seduction of Yusuf is a story in both the Bible and the Koran
Yusuf(Joseph) is seduced by Potiphars wife Zulaykha
 Zulaykha lured Yusuf into her palace where she led him through
7 rooms and threw herself at him in the last room where he
resisted and fled
The text is dispersed throughout the page in a series of panels
written in elegant script
Vivid color, intricate detailing, balance between two dimensional
patterns and perspective elements

Sultan-Muhammad,
Shahnama: Court of
Gayumars

AD 1525-1535
Iran
Ink, watercolor, and gold on paper
 Illustration in Shahnama (Book of kings)
The king of Persia Gayumars sits top center with his son and
grandson with his dynasty as a symbol of prosperity
They wear cat pelts as a symbol of power
His subjects surround him on the lower side
The work spills out of the frame showing that Gayumars is beyond
limits
The work is off center to give it a light, otherworldly quality
The background is speckled with gold
Muhammad ibn al-Zayn, Baptistery of Saint Louis

AD 1300
Brass basin inlaid with gold and silver
Egypt
Signed six times by the artist
Central band depicts Mamluk hunters and Mongol enemies
Doesnt actually relate to Louis IX but has been used to baptize
many in the French royal family
Canteen with Scenes from the Life of Jesus

AD 1240-1250
Syria
Brass with silver and copper inlay
Souvenir from the crusades
Has design features similar to those of stained glass
Made through the commission of a Christian
Each panel depicts a different scene
Center
Madonna and child scene of Jesus enthroned in heaven
2 oclock
Nativity
10 oclock
Presentation in the temple
6 oclock
Entry into Jerusalem
Inscriptions rim the outside

Shirin

Neshat,

Allegiance
&
Wakefulness

AD 1994
Iran
Photograph
 Militant fundamentalist vs. militant feminist (the riffle represents the
clash of these)
Modern woman vs. veiled Islamic woman
Modern vs. tradition
Writing on feet is militant Farsi poetry
Sense of rebellion

Zaha Hadid, Vitra Fire Station

AD 1989-1993
Iraq
Concrete and reinforced concrete
 Unframed window panes
Reduces imagery to a basic form
Represents the life of a fireman
It is calm and then suddenly chaotic just as the building is flat
and the suddenly upright and pointy
Burst of energy upon a call

Shroud of Saint Josse

AD 961
Central Asia/Khurasan
 Silk textile
Contains an inscription on the bottom and camels on the sides
The Indian elephants are the main feature but they are depicted in a
Persian way
The shroud was used to wrap a relic of Saint Josse so like the relic it
too became holy

Mahmoud Mukhtar, Egyptian Awakening

AS 1919-1928
Egypt
 Mix of western and Egyptian ideas
Unlike other sphinxes this sphinx is trying to stand as if awakening
The woman is Egypta and serves as an allegorical personification of
Egypt
She embraces the sphinx and removes her veil as she too
awakens
Sphinx=symbol of royal power
Built from the same stone as early Egyptian monuments
Message of Egyptian nationalism
Jamil Hamoudi, People are Equal Like Teeth on a Comb

AD 1976
Iraq
The title is a quote from Mohammad
Uses calligraphy to show the ideas of Islam
The words are surrounded abstractly by geometric shapes
ABSTRACT
 Leila Shawa,
The Prisoner

AD 1988
Palestinian Territiories
Bird
Black to contrast with white shirt
Symbol of freedom but not allowed to be free
5 other women are present in traditional Islamic garb
They merge with the leaves
Have no eyesno life
Flowers=beauty
One woman has a flower for her eye
Are woman beautiful traditionally or modernly?
Terms and Concepts:

Syncretism: Borrowing and adapting styles, imagery, and/or techniques

from another culture.
Ex: Image of Hercules borrowed from Greeks by Indians and
Japanese

Muhammad (AD 570-632): The last and greatest of the Islamic

prophets. Was called upon by the angel Gabriel in 610 to serve as the
messenger of the Gods. Died in 632 and was buried at Medina.

The Koran: Literally means the recitation. Is the final revelation of

Allah that is believed to be a flawless copy of the eternal word in
heaven. Is not divided into books, but is dived into 114 chapters called
surahs which are arranged in descending order of length except for the
first surah.

The Kaaba: Structure at the center of Mecca that predates Islam and is
believed to be built by Abraham. It is the holiest place in Islam, and is
covered in black cloth embroidered with gold thread. It has been
destroyed and rebuilt many times by Muslims.

Mosque: Islamic place of prayer. Designed after Muhammads house

which becomes the first mosque. Features include: Covered roof on
qibla side, courtyard, and walls and gates that represent safety.

Mihrab: Niche in qibla wall that points the direction to Mecca. One of
the features that were later added to most mosques.

Iwan: A large vaulted chamber with a monumental arched opening on

one side.

Calligraphy: The decorative art of hand lettering in an ornamental style

using brushes or pens. Literally means beautiful writing. Is the highest
form of art in Islam because it brings beauty to the words of Allah.

The House of the Prophet: Muhammads house, built in Medina Saudi

Arabia in the 7th century AD, that became the first mosque. It serves as
the prototype for mosques.

Hijra (AD 622): Year 1 of Islamic calendar. Is the fleeing of Muhammad

and other Muslims from Mecca to Medina due to violent resistance to
Muhammads message. Muhammad later reclaims Mecca which
becomes the first holiest city followed by Medina.

The Night Journey to al-Aqsa Mosque: Story in which Muhammad was

transported from his home in his sleep to al-Aqsa mosque. Here a
Buraq (woman with a horses body) descended and took Muhammad to
heaven where he met all the old prophets. Eventually he was
transported back to his home to tell the story.

Qibla: The direction towards Mecca.

Minaret: Tower attached to a mosque complex. Served as a signal of

dominance, presence, and power. Are sometimes used for call to
prayer.

Arabesque: Complicated, intertwined, flowing design of stylized floral

and plant motifs.
The 5 Pillars of Islam:
1. Statement of faith
2. Prayer five times a day facing Mecca
3. Alms giving to the poor
4. Fasting during Ramadan
5. Pilgrimage to Mecca

The Silk Road:

Started in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC
1st Major Period
o Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty
o 2nd century BC to 3rd century AD
o Silk becomes a status symbol in Rome
o Celestial horses travel east to China
2 Major Period
nd

o Early Islamic Caliphates and the Sui and Tang dynasties

o 6th-10th century AD
o Golden age of the silk road
o Beginning of sea routes
o Explosion of Buddhism
o WEST: Number concepts
o EAST: Silver, lions, grapes, blue, Christianity and Islam
3 Major Period
rd

o The Mongol Empire controls the entire silk road

o 13th century AD
o Marco Polos travels
o WEST: Gunpowder, printing press, bubonic, tea