Transcript The Kaaba - Doral Academy Preparatory

Islamic Art & Architecture
Faith, Pattern, Geometry
The Kaaba, Mecca. Pilgrims surrounding the Kaaba (dedicated by Mohammed)
Kaaba & Islam
• Originally held various “pagan” icons
• Mohammed fled Medina (the hijira) for
Mecca and threw out icons from the Kaaba
(aniconism)
• Islam calls for worship of only one god
Kaaba & Islam
• Figurative art,
especially religion,
avoided
• Islamic artists use
nonfigural ornament,
text, arabesques
(scrolling vines) &
complex patterns
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
However this varies by region/time frame.. What examples can you think of?
The Kaaba
• Millions of faithful
Muslims
PILGRIMAGE or
ha’ij to Mecca
• Part of 5 pillars of
Islam for those able
to go
• Inscribed with a
few verses of the
Qu’ran (Koran)
• FLASHCARD
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
So how does this fit Islam?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Merchant al-Amin saw vision of angel
in 610 CE
Mohammed (messenger of God), went
to Mecca
Recited revelations of the angel in
chanted verses
His followers wrote down the verses,
became the Qur’an
Attracted 1000s of followers; but
angered the powerful
Fled Mecca for Medina (built first
mosque) place of worship/prayer
Returned to Mecca with army of
10,0000
Emptied the Kaaba - now symbolic
center of all Muslim prayer and
destination for the ha’ij.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
5 Pillars of Islam
•
•
•
•
•
•
Allah (one god) : Mohammed =
msgr
Prayer facing Mecca 5x day
(fountains in courtyards for
ablutions/washing)
Zakah - alms/tax to help poor
Daily fasting during Ramadan
(annual festival)
Pilgrimage to Mecca circumambulate Kaaba
What other monotheistic religions do
you know of?
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
The Spread of Islam in the Middle East and Europe
Four caliphs/followers of Mohammed succeeded --spread into India, Africa, Spain
The 4 Caliphs
•
•
Ruled after Mohammed
3rd Caliph Uthman - completed the
Qur’an… unifying force of the
Arabic language
• Ali was the 4th caliph; power
struggle - assassination in 661
DIVISIONS FROM THIS CONFLICT
CONTINUE TODAY….
• Shi’a = followers of Ali as the one
true caliph
• Sunni = believe all 4 caliphs were
“rightfully guided”
Where are the Shia’s and Sunnis still fighting
TODAY ?????
Arabic was used to study and teach, but
also simply to delight the eye
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Early Dynasties of the Islamic
Empire - Umayyads 661-750
The Dome of the Rock was the first great
monument of Islamic Art.
•
•
•
Following Ali’s assassination,
Umayyad Dynasty founded (661750)
Empire expanded into Persia, Egypt,
Syria & Palestine w/in 20 years
Went into India, N. Africa and Spain
by the early 700s.
• Built mosques and palaces from
capital in Damascus.
Cutaway
View of
The Dome
Of the Rock
In
Jerusalem
The rock
was where
Mohammed
ascended to
God,
according to
Islam
Dome of the Rock, interior
Jerusalem flashcard
Begun 691 CE, Umayyad
1st great Islamic monument
3rd most holy site in Islam
Built on holy site for Jews &
Christians too;
Islamic view : Mohammed
completed the prophecies of
those faiths
Frieze of Qur’an writings of
gold mosaic on turquoise
background-oldest written
Qur’an verses
Oldest use of Qur’an in
architecture
•Golden dome, marble veneers, rich mosaics & patterned carpets
•Dome atop octagonal drum w/ arcades of piers and columns
•ambulatory aisles for faithful to walk around
Frieze from façade of Palace at
Mshatta (Jordan, 743 CE)
•Umayyid caliphs built palaces such as the
one at Mshatta
•Frieze divided into triangular
compartments, geometric shapes
contrasting with organic vines, scrolls with
birds and animals
•Near the mosque portion no animals or
birds were shown (aniconism).
Where did we see friezes in ancient and
classical times?
Early Dynasties of
the Islamic Empire
•
•
•
•
Ummayids were replaced by Abbasid
dynasty in 750;
Ruled from Baghdad until 1258.
Abbassids borrowed artistically from
Roman, Byzantium, China, Persia &
India
Abbassids; medicine, arts, literature
The Dome of the Rock was the first great
momument of Islamic Art.
Mosque Features &
Plans
• Hypostyle (multicolumned)
mosques such as the Great
Mosque of Tunisia
• Added courtyard, flat roofed
hypostyle prayer hall towards
Mecca
• Qibla wall - mihrab
• Mihrab = niche for holy place,
such as Torah scrolls in a
synagogue or niche for Roman
god statue
Know & recognize these 3
characteristic arches/niches from
Islamic architecture
Muqarnas are unique to Islam
Often stacked and used in
multiples, very intricate and
dazzling to the eye
Sometimes vault domes, or used
as part of a mihrab
SEE EXAMPLES ON NEXT
PAGES
Tile Mosaic Mihrab,
from the Madrasa Imami, Isfahan
Medium: Glazed and cut tiles
Size: 11'3" X 7'6"
14th century Iran
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
One of finest examples of early
architectural ceramic decoration
3 inscriptions: outer in cursive, Qur’an
verses about 5 Pillars of Islam.
Inner Kufic sayings of prophet
Center panel: line in Kufic says
“The mosque is the house of every pious
person.”
FLASHCARD
Minbar (pulpit)
Example of beautiful wood and ivory inlaid
Minbar from mosque in Cairo, Egypt (15th
Century)
Qibla wall
from Sultan
Hasan
MadrasaMausoleum
-Mosque
Cairo
Egypt
14th
century
Example of elaborate Qibla (prayer wall) with minbar (pulpit), mihrab (niche)
Prayer Hall, Great Mosque of Cordoba,
Spain
Spanish Umayyad dynasty, 8th century
Flashcard
•Emir was patron of arts
•Cordoba was capital
•Appropriated former Christian church from
Visigoths
•Expanded by later rulers
•Hypostyle prayer hall marble columns
•Horseshoe arches (adopted from Romans!)
•Alternating red brick and white stone
voussoirs in the curved arch
•Domes were beautiful mosaics done by
master Byzantine artists; trade diplomacy
and competition in the medeival
Mediterranean
Dome of Great Mosque of
Cordoba, in front of the
mihrab
Note intricate mosaics
Islamic interest in
mathematics & geometry
Student presentations on Mosque of Cordoba here
Students will discuss this with the
class.
Note dome, and minarets
Sultan Selim Mosque
Mosque of
Sultan Selim,
Edirne
Ottoman
Empire, 16th
century Turkey
Architect Sinan
(for Suleyman
the Magnificent)
Flashcard
•Minarets almost
300’ high, only 12’
in diameter
Square base transitioned to central dome with corner half
domes
Gigantic hemispheric dome larger than Hagia Sophia
Complex held mosque, madrasa, hospittal, kitchens, market,
baths
Central plan with fountain (see plans)
•Only royal
mosques allowed
multiple minarets
Interior of dome of
Mosque of Sultan Selim
Edirne
STUDENTS PRESENT
THIS
Four Iwan Mosque plan
Congregational Mosque, Isfahan
Developed in Iran
Iwan = huge, barrel vaulted walls
with arch entrances
Cross-axial emphasis
Central courtyard
Qibla is the prayer wall
KNOW THIS VOCABULARY
Great Mosque of
Ishafan (Iran)
Note iwan walls
with vaulted
entrances
Mosaic tile
decoration
Minarets
Four iwan plan
17th century, lots
of additions since
Calligraphy
• Students will present
• Art of fine hand lettering
• Qur’an word of god- must be written with
devotion & embellishment
• Verbal information & aesthetics
Arabic manuscript
page
Kufic headings
Naskhi (Iran)
scripts
Calligraphers
enjoyed very high
status, included
women and
princes
20 cursive scripts
in use by the 10th
century
Qur’an usually
wrote on
parchment or
vellum
Ceramics & Glassware
•
•
•
•
Students will present
Samarkand
Fritware
Figurative embellishment, especially when
illuminated manuscripts & books popular
Samarkand
ceramics had a
beautiful white
ground like
Chinese porcelain.
Border is Kufic
script;
Calligraphy often
used for
decoration as well
as text.
Mamluk Glass Oil Lamp, Syria or
Egypt, 14th century
Glass, polychrome enamel, gold
Egyptians produced 1st glass in 2nd
millenium BCE
13th century CE artistic exchanges in
Italy, Syria, Egypt developed new
molding and blowing techniques
Used for mosques
Kuranic inscription: God is the light of
the heavens.
European heraldry symbols
FLASHCARD - DISCUSS
INFLUENCES, FIGURATIVE
IMAGERY, ETC.
The Macy Jug
Ceramic
Painted fritware, incised
1215-1216, Iran
Now at Metropolitan Museum of
Art
FLASHCARD IMAGE
Technique to produce lustrous
metallic surface on fired ceramic
Painted dense, elaborate patterns of
animals, foliage, etc.
Originally FRITWARE used for
beads in ancient Egypt
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
“Oriental” Rugs
•
•
•
•
Students will present
Worldwide popularity even through today
Knotted carpets date back 4th century BCE
Silk weaving exchange with China (China
Silk Road)
• Paradise & garden associations
Banner of Las Navas de
Tolosa
Silk tapestry weave with gilt
parchment
Trophy taken by Christian
King Ferdinand III.. Detail of
center section
Calligraphic panels
“Oriental” Rugs
• Rugs used for Muslim
prayer
• Knotted rugs technique
passed down thru
generations
Medallion Rug
Star Ushak Style
Note patterns which reverse
symmetry
Infinite arabesque that
repeats in all directions
Art of the Book
•
•
•
•
•
Students will present
Parallels illuminated manuscripts in Europe
More figurative embellishment allowed
Persian miniatures
Islamic emphasis on Qur’an
Qur’an Frontspiece, Cairo
Egypt, 1368 CE.
Nonfigural designs from
Mamluk Egypt
Intricate designs paralleled
What????
Caliph Harun Al Rashid Visits
Turkish Bath
Kamal al Din-Bihzad
From Herart School of Miniature
painting in western Afghanistan
Bihzad paintings illustrated
Khamsa Five Poems.
Bathhouse accepted from Roman
society in Islamic world in Turkey,
Jordan.
Another Bihzad miniature
Shirin sees Khusraus Portrait
Tugra of Sultan
Suleyman
Istanbul, Turkey
16th Century, Ottoman
Empire
Ink, paint, and gold on
paper
Tugras combined the
ruler’s name with the
phrase Eternally
Victorious
Tugras appeared on
seals, coints, buildings,
edicts
Body design may have
been inspired by Chinese
ceramics
FLASHCARDS
Flashcard
Recognize
Court of
the Lions
Court of the Lions, Alhambra, Granada, Spain; 14th Century
City of Gardens .. Islamic palace set in gardens. Complex citadel with dramatic
views, miradors (lookout windows). Beautiful ceiling with clustered muqarnas
8 pointed star ceiling (next image)
Muqarnas Dome,
hall of the
Abencerrajes,
Palace of the
Lions, Alhambra