This module examines some key works of sacred art and architecture from the Islamic tradition.

1. ART 299 VISUAL CULTURE GLOBAL CONTEXT
M8 NOT REPRESENTING
THE DEITY

2. Module 8 Overview
 Five Pillars of Islam
 mosque (congregational mosque, Friday mosque, great mosque)
mihrab
qibla
 convivencia
 Look:
 Dome of the Rock (10-2), (10-3)
 Great Mosque of Isfahan (10-25)
 Great Mosque of Djenne (19-9)
 Hagia Sophia (9-5 to 9-9)
 Great Mosque of Cordoba (10-1), (10-9), (10-10), (10-11), (10-12)
 Synagogue of El Transitó (http://www.bh.org.il/database-article.aspx?48725)
 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sinagoga_del_Transito_(Toledo)
 Mihrab from MadrasaImami (10-26)
 carpet (10-27)
 mosque lamp (10-28)

3. Goals
 Understand a few central aspects of the
Muslim faith and learn the associated
terminology.
 Begin to make connections between the
tenets of the faith and the artistic forms of
the culture.
 Become aware of the origin and early history
of the faith.
 Relate that early history to the changing
meanings of the Ka’ba.

4. Goals
 define sacred and secular architecture
 identify forms of sacred architecture associated
with the major world religions
 what does the sacred architecture of Islam look
like?
 Examine pictures of major mosques from Muslim
countries around the world
 Learn key terms for describing mosque architecture
 Understand how modernization has altered a specific
aspect of traditional Muslim worship in Cairo, Egypt

5. Concept
One distinction we can make in studying visual
culture is between sacred and secular art
forms.

6. Concept
 Distinguishing between sacred and secular
art gives us one way of sorting the variety of
art objects by their intended use.

7. Concept
 When looking at any art object in this
class, you can ask yourself:
Does this object have a religious or
devotional purpose?
If so, we can label it sacred.

8. A
B
Which object would we term sacred?

9. Which building would you describe as “sacred”?

10. Though it’s possible to discern in the form of the “golden
arches” an invitation to a heavenly realm (an echo
perhaps, of the “pearly gates”?), the cathedral is the
work of sacred architecture.

11. Test your understanding
Classifying buildings or objects as
sacred or secular is easy if you
are familiar with the forms of a
particular religious tradition. If
these forms are less familiar,
you may need to do further
reading and research before
determining whether a given
object is sacred or not.
Do you know if the image on the
right is sacred, or secular?

12. Do you see any visual cues that might enable you to make an educated
guess?

13. Lingam, cave temple dedicated to Shiva, c. 550, Karnataka,
India

14. Map of the Arabian Peninsula, showing key sites at the time
of Muhammad

15. 1. Shahadah
 “There is no god but God and Muhammad is
his Messenger.”
 declaration of faith in a monotheistic God
 Muhammad is the Prophet, not a deity

16. 2. Salat
 prayers
 five times a day at specific hours
 preceded by ablutions
 facing toward Mecca

17. 3. Zakat
 offering of financial help to the poor in one’s
own community
 percentage of income

18. 4. Sawm
 fasting during the holy month of Ramadan
during the daylight hours

19. 5. hajj
 pilgrimage to Mecca during set time
 every Muslim must make the pilgrimage at
least once during their lifetime
 pilgrims wear a simple white garment called
Ihram clothing to signify equality before God

24. hajj paintings

25. hajj paintings

26. hajj paintings

27. Great Mosque of Isfahan,
qiblaiwan

28. Mihrab, Great Mosque of Isfahan, Iran, c. 1500,
ceramic mosaic, 9 1/2 x 8 ft

29. detail of tilework

30. mihrab: indentation in the
qibla wall, most likely
marking the presence of the
Prophet
qibla: wall closest to Mecca

31. Great Mosque of Djenné, Mali

32. engraving of the mosque from
1911

33. Great Mosque of Cordoba

34. Great Mosque of Cordoba

35. Great Mosque of Cordoba

36. Synagogue “El Transito”

37. Great Mosque of Cordoba

40. Synagogue “El Transito”

42. Synagogue “El Transito”

43. Synagogue “El Transito”

44. Synagogue “El Transito”

45. http://query.nytimes.com/gst
/fullpage.html?res=9C06E2DA1
13BF931A25753C1A9629C8B63&se
c=&spon=

46. Widening your perspective
 Read the article about the play “Radio
Muezzin,” developed after this policy went
into effect in Cairo.
 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/theater/
19abroad.html
 How does the author compare and contrast
the aural environments of Cairo and Berlin?