Muslim art, architecture and design, mosques and palaces

1. 4.2 Muslim Art, Architecture
and Design, Mosques and
palaces
By Michelle Peck Williams, adapted by Dianne
Siasoco 10/23/2012

2. History of Islam
• 7th
Century AD
– Religion of Islam started by Muhammad, in
what is now Saudi Arabia. “Muslims” are
followers, “Islam” is the religion.
• 8th
Century AD & on
– Islamic empire spreads throughout the
Middle East, North Africa, Spain, Pakistan,
India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, etc.
• 1453
– Ottoman Turks (Muslims) take over
Constantinople & the Byzantine Empire,
renaming it Istanbul.
• 1492
– Christians Ferdinand and Isabella defeat and
kick out all the Muslims in Spain.

3. Art
• Strict rules about meant you
could NOT make a picture of
statue of God, a holy person, etc.
• Muhammad’s face is usually not
shown.
• Books can show “historical
images” but they are not for
praying to.
• Some rules relaxed later in some
places, like Iran (Persians).
• So, instead, Islamic art focused
on REPETITION, using:
– Geometric patterns
– Arabesques
– Calligraphy

4. Geometric patterns

5. Arabesques (curved designs)

6. Calligraphy:
Writing

7. Islamic architecture and design
Please copy:
•Plaster is a building material used for
covering walls and ceilings. Similar to
mortar or cement it is mixed with water.
Unlike mortar and cement, plaster
remains quite soft and can be easily
manipulated with tools. It is used for
finishing a construction.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaster
Image to right: diki.pl

8. http://www.google.es/imgres?
q=plaster&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1C1SKPL_enES405&biw=1303&bih=498&tbm=isch&tbnid=0NS7hi2Ot4PwXM:&imgrefurl=http
://www.plinthandchintz.com/mambo/component/option,com_glossary/id,348/&docid=zdBJyttMhunYvM&imgurl=http://www.plinthan
dchintz.com/mambo/images/stories/DesignSpeak/plaster.jpg&w=600&h=400&ei=ewKHULS5HMTL0QWUqYGoBA&zoom=1&iact
=hc&vpx=987&vpy=4&dur=90&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=200&ty=69&sig=112095874715214331100&page=4&tbnh=137&tbnw=2
13&start=49&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:41,s:20,i:322

9. Vaulted roofs
• In building construction, a
structural member consisting of
an arrangement of arches, usually
forming a ceiling or roof.
• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/624158/vault

10. Islamic Architecture
• Mosque: place of worship

11. Many mosques feature
columns, domes and arches.

12. Portico
• Image from Alhambra://www.google.es/imgres?
q=portico+spain&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1C1SKPL_enES405&biw=13
03&bih=498&tbm=isch&tbnid=h3ssq41yiBmvuM:&imgrefurl=http://www
.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-21001156-portico-of-the-cuarto-dorado-
alhambra-palace-granada-
spain.php&docid=QqW43KpKzZOcoM&itg=1&imgurl=http://i.istockimg.
com/file_thumbview_approve/21001156/2/stock-photo-21001156-
portico-of-the-cuarto-dorado-alhambra-palace-granada-
spain.jpg&w=380&h=253&ei=MAaHUJbQHsmZhQfetIDoCQ&zoom=1&i
act=hc&vpx=987&vpy=161&dur=1284&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=126&t
y=82&sig=112095874715214331100&page=1&tbnh=146&tbnw=218&st
art=0&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0,i:87
Image from Ronda: http://www.google.es/imgres?
q=portico+spain&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1C1SKPL_enES405&biw=1303&bi
h=498&tbm=isch&tbnid=OreH1_-
JH9lcMM:&imgrefurl=http://www.rgbstock.com/bigphoto/2dFom8G/Portico
%2B2&docid=DQ0EyPHblypuNM&imgurl=http://m.rgbimg.com/cache1nlWv8
/users/a/ab/abyla/600/2dFom8G.jpg&w=600&h=393&ei=MAaHUJbQHsmZh
QfetIDoCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=634&vpy=4&dur=3987&hovh=182&hovw
=278&tx=122&ty=122&sig=112095874715214331100&page=2&tbnh=129&t
bnw=202&start=13&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:0,i:117

13. Islamic architecture often uses a
courtyard with a portico.

14. Minarets are
the towers
where the
muezzin calls
people to
prayer.

15. Inside, mosques are carpeted and
you must remove your shoes.

16. Look at page 35.
Can you find the…
•Kiblah
•Mihrab-where the Koran is kept
Do you know where Damascus,
Kairouan, Samarra, Jerusalem, and
Cordoba are?

17. Samarra, Iraq
• Before an
explosion in
2006
• After
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_47
40000/newsid_4740000/4740030.stm

18. • Kairouan is in Tunisia. Referred to as
the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a
UNESCO World Heritage site. The city
was founded by the Arabs around 670.
The holy Mosque of Uqba is situated in
the city.[2][3] It is considered by many
Muslims to be Islam's fourth holiest
city.

19. Famous Mosques
• The Ka’aba, in Mecca, Saudi
Arabia

20. Famous Mosques
• Medina

21. Famous Mosques
• The Dome of the Rock, in
Jerusalem, Israel

22. More Dome of the Rock

23. Dome of the Rock Interior

24. Famous Mosques
• The Great Mosque of Cordoba in
Spain

25. Other Famous Architecture:
• The Taj Mahal in India
• It’s a tomb, but it looks like a
Mosque.
• Built by Shah Jahan, a Muslim
ruler of India in the 1600s.

26. Other Famous Architecture
• The Alhambra in Spain
• It’s a palace (house).

27. More Alhambra

28. More Alhambra

29. More Alhambra

30. More Alhambra

31. Water
• Because they were a
desert culture, the
early Muslims valued
water highly, and often
incorporated it into
architectural design.
• Water is used for
washing before
prayers, 5 times a day.

32. Arabic Science & Math
• To create such beautiful art works,
Arabic geometry and math became very
advanced.
• They invented algebra.
• “Arabic numerals” are still used today
(0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).
• They were the first to create hospitals
with quarantine, the compass, lenses,
and the first to create distilled alcohol
as an anesthetic.
• Arab libraries contained math & science
books from all over the world, and
helped start the Renaissance in
Europe.

33. Your PROJECT
• Create an Islamic-style Geometric
“Kaleidoscope” design.
• It must have RADIAL BALANCE.
• You must color the whole thing
with RADIAL BALANCE with 3 or
more colors to get full credit.

34. Islamic Exit Slips
A. Explain ONE way the
BELIEFS of Islam
influence the ART.
B. Explain ONE way you
used Islamic style to
create your design.