AP Art History: Islamic Art Lecture Notes

Chronology of Early Islam -

Muhammad Born in Mecca ca. 570

Muhammad’s First Revelation 610

Muhammad’s Flight to Medina (Hijra) 622

Muhammad Dies in Medina 632

Muhammed is the final prophet for Islam

Five Pillars of Islam

Faith There is no God but God;

Muhammad is his messenger

Prayer Salat–obligatory prayers

said five times daily

Charity Zakat–“purification” or “growth”

Fasting during the month of Ramadan

Pilgrimage Hajj–trip to Mecca once in a lifetime

some go yearly during Ramadan

Kaaba - Mecca, rebuilt, ca.608 C.E., Kaaba is a brick and mortar building, covered in silk and cotton bail, gold doors added in 1982, bail is constructed in Saudi Arabia every year, the goal is to touch the Kaaba, existed for a millennium, believed to be built by Abraham, re-built in 608, built specifically to house Pagan gods and the black stone, Muhammed didn’t like this after he returned to Mecca, Muhammed cleared the Kaaba of Pagan Idols, the black stone is a meteorite that was given to Abraham by the Arch Angel Gabriel, not the original dimensions and decorations, textile calligraphy, parts of Quaran are printed on bail, you can only visit if you’re Muslim, Quranic school in Mosque as well

Dome of the Rock - Jerusalem, 687-692, holy site to Islam, Jews, and Christians, built-in Islamic Tradition, the huge golden dome at the top, octagonal building, exterior covered in mosaic tile work, individually made beautiful colors, no images of humans, Quranic Script, Patterning is considered to be beautiful, holds the Noble Enclosure, Site where major things happened to all 3 religions of Abraham, Abraham attempted to sacrifice Isaac here, Adam and Eve are traced to this area, central - plan building, the interior has many organic shapes, not geometric, patterning, repetition of shapes, vases that have ornate plants, calligraphy, the noble enclosure is part of the nave, and is separated by nave arcade

Aerial view of the Great Mosque - Qayrawan, Tunisia, ca. 836-875, Qibla Wall points to Kaaba, Mirhab is an apse in the wall that indicated the direction of prayers, Hypostyle Prayer Hall, Nave which is the central portion of the hypostyle prayer hfall, Forecourt is large are in the middle, Minaret is the call to prayer, Great means large, entrances are on side of the forecourt, nave connects two domes together

Great Mosque - Damascus, Syria, 706-715, a shared area with the Christian population, one dome, the dome is an entrance dome and mihrab, hypostyle hall, has more of a longitudinal axis, very wide, double colonnade to support the roof, wall decoration dates to Byzantine artists, brought in from Byzantium, no one building being depicted, fear of empty spaces, framing of images with organic shapes

Entrance to the Great Mosque - Córdoba, Spain, 8th to 10th centuries, Minarets, Forecourt, Hypostyle Hall, Mirhab Dome, and Mihrab, Church faces the opposite direction from Quibla Wall, Horseshoe Arches are typical of Spanish Islam, Post, Curling Lintel, the interior has a repetition of columns, double colonnade, low arches, all horseshoe arches, the second row has regular arches, each double colonnade has an area to allow for light, an attempt at Corinthian Style, Mix of Christian and Islamic styles

The prayer hall of the Great Mosque - Córdoba, Spain, 8th to 10th centuries, instead of clerestory there is calligraphy, all mosaic work, Islam and Byzantine works use mosaic tile work and tesserae, organic structures, regular-shaped dome, placed on top of the different shaped base, squinches, squinches change the shape, Mihrab

Court of Lions - Alahambra Palace, Granada, Spain, 1354-1391, done in stucco, easily carved into, the fountain in the middle that is surrounded by lions, colonnade on the exterior of court, capital contains Islamic Caligraphy, Carved Calligraphy, Screen allowed for air to pass through and for shade due to warm Southern Spain, similar to adobe buildings, ornate decorations, palace court

Muqarnas dome, hall of the Two Sisters - Alahambra Palace, Granada, Spain, 1354-1391, cave-like, Stilagcite, flow of air, clerestory under the dome, Islamic Caligraphy

Sinan - Mosque of Selim II, Edirne, Turkey, 1568-1575, most famous mosque in the area around Constantinople, based off of Hagia Sophia, central dome, dome held by windows, half dome buttresses, four minarets, minarets were added to Hagia Sophia, cemetery, attached buildings, the interior dome has Islamic, Organic, Patterns, same style of windows and bubble domes, bars keep dome tight and together

Courtyard of the Great Mosque - Isfahan, Iran, 11th to 17th centuries, Blue Mosque, One of Largest Mosques in the entire world, open-air mosque, several mosques put together, minarets, minarets on same wall as Mihrab, Interior has patterned decorations, Querda Secca is where they inlay stone around patterns, Screens put inside, ornate and organic patterning, no human or pictorial representation

Mihrab from the Madrasa Imami - Isfahan, Iran, ca. 1354, glazed mosaic tilework, 11 ft. 3 in. x 7 ft. 6 in., Calligraphy, read right to left, extremely expensive

Taj Mahal - Agra, India, 1632-1647, Mausoleum for favorite wife, Mughal Empire, made of white stone, Sha Jahan, funerary structure, symmetrical, decorative, one of seven wonders, reflecting pool in front, tile work, screening, organic patterning, tile work is precious stones, extremely expensive

Quran page with the beginning of surah 18, al Kahf (The Cave) - 9th or early 10th-century,

ink and gold on vellum, 7 1/4 in. x 10 1/4 in., painted on vellum, similar to Ealy Christian Manuscripts, read from right to left, basic style of Islam manuscripts

Sultan-Muhammad - The court of Gayumars, detail of folio 20 versos of the Shahnama of Shah, Tahmasp, Tabriz, Iran, ca.1525-1535, ink, watercolor and gold on paper, 13 x 9 in., representations of people, floating men, later style of Islamic Manuscripts, Mystical, Waterfall, Landscape, members of the court, similar to Chinese Manuscripts, attendants

Sultan-Muhammad - Hushang discovers fire, detail of folio recto, of the Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp, Tabriz, Iran, ca.1525-1535, ink, watercolor and gold on paper, 13 x 9 in., Hushang with fire, the image expands past frame which was monumental, goat herder