From the beginnings to the classical culture of Islam. architecture, art, medicine, war and society. everything you wanted to know. Research, Assembly and Design by Alex Brown. Blog: www.alexbrown.net

1. Islamic Art
and Culture
• From the 7th
to the 17th
Centuries
• From Spain in the West to
India in the East
• An appreciation of
Classical Islamic culture

2. Geography of the Islamic World
Saudi Arabia
home of Islam.
Mecca – holy city of
Islam located on the
coastal road running
along the western edge
of the country.
A harsh climate –
desert home to nomadic
peoples.

3. Mecca – Heart of Islam
• Heart of Islam
• The Kaaba –
Mecca
Saudi Arabia

4. Arabic calligraphy (1)
• Arabic, language
of the Koran –
• becomes an art
form in itself –
• decorative and
highly stylized

5. Arabic Calligraphy (2)
The art of Arabic
Calligraphy
• Two examples
of the monumental
‘Kufic’ style.
10th
– 11th
century

6. Arabic Calligraphy (3)
• From the Koran
to proverbs on
plates –
• Arabic script
served all
purposes uniting
the diverse
peoples of Islam

7. Arabic Calligraphy (4)
• Calligraphy used
on ceramic work
An Example of the
cursive style.
Arabic script becomes
a decorative element
in itself on buildings

8. Arabic Calligraphy (5)
• Cursive and Kufic
script on the wall of an
Islamic monastery.
• Script as decorative
element.
• Persia 14th
century

9. The Islamic Dome (1)
The dome is the
Key architectural
element of the
Mosque.
Dome of the Rock
Mosque, Jerusalem
Built: 610

10. The Islamic Dome (2)
• The dome plus
polychrome
ceramic tiling and
the minaret
become the typical
mosque image.
• Masjid-I Shaykh
• Isfahan – Persia
16th
Century

11. The Islamic
Dome (3)
• The dome, ceramic tile,
Arabic script, geometric
pattern, flower motifs,
blue, yellow, turquoise
colours – all the key
elements of Islamic
architecture.
• Masjid-I Shaykh
• Isfahan – Persia 16th
Century

12. The Islamic Dome (4)
• The Blue Mosque
in Instanbul by
Sinan 16th
century
• Multiple domes
and minarets
produce the
classic mosque
type.

13. Ceramic Tile Patterns (1)
• Ceramic tile:
Shining in the sun -
reflective and cooling.
Gives humanity to the
large scale forms of
The mosque
Dome of the Rock
Mosque –Jerusalem

14. Ceramic Tile Patterns (2)
Cooling and
humanizing, coloured
tiles gave the Mosque
a strong visual
presence in the city.
(Left) Masjid-I Shah
Isfahan – Persia 1610
(Right) – Mosque
entrance Isfahan

15. Ceramic Tile Patterns (3)
• The Endless
abstract patterns of
the tiles reflect the
Islamic world view
of the infinite.
• (Left) Exterior
tiling Isfahan.
• (Right) Mirhab
tile decoration,
Isfahan

16. Ceramic Tile Patterns (4)
Floral and
geometric pattern
cover the walls and
Vaults of this Prayer
Hall.
Masjid-I Shah,
Isfahan, Persia.

17. The Decorative Niche
External niches and
the Mirhab itself were
treated decoratively.
Colour, pattern and
Arabic Script
identified
significant places.
(L) Maydan Mosque,
Kashan, Persia - 1226

18. The Courtyard Garden (1)
An almost complete classical
Islamic garden in Moorish
Spain. The garden as the ideal
environment. Cool and green.
The Garden of the Myrtles,
Alhambra, Spain.
14th
century.

19. The Courtyard Garden (2)
Lion Courtyard
• The garden as expressive
art form – antithesis to the
heat and dust of the outside
environment. Water was
also clearly an important
and expressive element.
• Alhambra, Moorish, Spain,
14th
century

20. The Courtyard
Garden (3)
Here the Mughal Emperor
Babur supervises the layout
of a garden with cruciform
water feature.
Babur was the first Mughal
Emperor in Islamic India:
c. 1526

21. The Courtyard
Garden (4)
• From Islamic Spain to
Persia to Mughal India the
garden image and
environment provided the
ideal classical setting for
literary works and
romances.
• (L) Mughal Garden scene

22. The
Courtyard
Garden (5)
• Garden and cloisters
similar to Gothic
period Christian
monasteries.
• Alhambra - Muslim
Spain

23. The Courtyard Complex (1)
Mosque complex
Isfahan, Persia defines
the enclosed urban square
- a key feature of
Islamic urban planning.
• Courtyard of the
Masjid-I Jum’a, Persia

24. The Courtyard Complex (2)
• The courtyard
acts as the
defining element
in Islamic urban
planning

25. The Courtyard Complex (3)
• A major urban
complex in Isfahan,
Persia though typical
of Islamic planning
in general.
Islamic urban planning
laws were carefully
prescribed to ensure
privacy

26. The
Courtyard
Complex (4)
• The Blue Mosque,
Istanbul
and its courtyard, 1609
Ottoman Empire
Architect: Sinan

27. The
Courtyard
Complex (5)
• The Golden Mosque
Bagdad
And its courtyards
Central domes cover the
tombs of the two
Imams

28. The Courtyard Complex (6)
Courtyard
Complex at
Isfahan, Persia

29. Islamic Interior Spaces (1)
• Mughul India
• Palace interior
• 17th
century
• There seems to be
a Hindu influence
in the design of
the columns.

30. Islamic Interior Spaces (2)
Lounge Bedroom area cool interior spaces

31. Muslim Spain (1)
• The Alhambra and
the Great Mosque
at Cordoba provide
excellent examples
of the design and
decorative arts of
this classic Islamic
civilization.

32. Muslim Spain (2)
• Decorative arches at
Alhambra, Moorish
Spain
• The Kingdom of
Granada 1266 – 1492
was the high point of
Moorish Spain.
• The Alhambra was
built during the 14th
century

33. Muslim Spain (3)
L)Arches at the
prayer hall and
R) The Mirhab

34. Tombs near Samarkand
• Monumental tombs
on the Road to
Samarkand built
for rulers or holy
men.
• Including that of
Tamburlane the
conqueror
• C. 13th
century

35. Cultural Mix
within Islam
• Islam’s reach was truly
international from the
Spain in the West to
Indonesia in the East.
• This image shows a
unique blend of
cultures within Islam.
• What is it?

36. Islamic Science & Technology (1)
• Astronomy was an
important science not
only for intellectual
curiosity but for
navigational purposes
L) Ottoman Observatory
16th
century
R) Astrolabe: c. 9th
century

37. Islamic Science & Technology (2)
Ibn Ishak’s
‘Book of the Ten
Treatises on the Eye’
Written in the 9th
century
A standard work for
200 years

38. Islamic Science & Technology (3)
• Medical Treatises
L) Medical instruments
Muslim Spain,
10th
century
R) Persian medical
dictionary 17th
century

39. Islamic Science & Technology (4)
• Mathematics and
Medicine
• L) Tusi’s analysis of
Euclid’s parallel
lines, 10th
century
• R) Ibn al-Haytham’s
Optics, Egypt, 11th
century

40. Islamic Science & Technology (5)
• Musical treatise
• Kanz al-Tuaf
treatise on
musical theory
• Persian, 14th
century

41. Islamic Arms & Armour (1)
Helmet and Body
armour
c.15th
– 16th
centuries
Muslim armour was
lighter and more
flexible than European

42. Islamic Arms & Armour (2)
Decorative Halbert Decorative Knives

43. Sulyeman the Magnificent
• The monograph
(signature)of the
Ottoman Emperor:
Sulyman the
Magnificant
c. 1526

44. Domestic Objects (1)
• Domestic Objects
Water vessels
• L) Persian 12th
century
R) Persian 12th
century

45. Domestic Objects (2)
Inlaid Metal Jewel box Inlaid metal
Water vessel

46. Domestic Objects (3)
Decorative brass
Containers
c. Persia: 14th
century
(Or Syria: 14th
Century)

47. Domestic Objects (4)
Inlaid brasswork Sandals
vessels possibly Ottoman

48. Carpets (1)
Carpets were for
domestic and
Mosque usage.
L) Tabriz, Caucases
R) Kasvin, Persia
16th
century

49. Carpets (2)
Carpet designs
L) ‘Garden’ carpet
Persia, 1700
R) Mughal Carpet
India, 16th
century

50. Mughal India - The Taj Mahal
The
Taj Mahal
Mughal India
1635
By
Shah Jahan

51. People of the Islamic World (1)
Classical Islamic
Civilization included
many different types
of people and societies
across the globe –
different yet united.
L) Mughal Couple,
India 16th
century
R) Persian style Indian
Painting

52. People of the Islamic World (2)
The spiritual and
intellectual sides of the
Islamic world were never
really separate.
L) The Mosque: Painted
by al-Hariri - 13th
century
R) The Library: Painted
By al-Hariri 13th
century

53. People of the Islamic World (3)
Ottoman Emperor
Selim III receives an
Ambassador at the
Topkapi palace,
Istanbul, Turkey,
1800.
(The painting style is
European influenced)

54. People of the Islamic World (4)
L) On the road to Mecca
with drums and
trumpets.
(Painted by al-Hariri,
Bagdad, 1237).
R) The Persian King, Ali
Shah receives European
visitors, 19th
century.

55. People of the Islamic World (5)
L) Persian style
painting of a
university, 17th
century.
R) Mughal garden
scene or romance,
16th
century.

56. The End
Thank you for your
attention!
I hope you found the
lecture interesting
and have learned
something in the process
See you again!