Download Islamic Art & Architecture - Northshore School District

Art & Architecture of the Middle
East and North Africa
REVIEW of the Middle East
• Canaan/Israel/Palestine
• The Hebrews/Israelites/Jews
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Judaism
Monotheism
Abraham
Jerusalem
Torah (Old Testament to Christians)
“Graven Image” concept
• Christianity
– Jesus
– Builds on Judaism but adds Jesus’ teachings,
belief in Jesus as Messiah
• Romans
– Expel Jews, destroy temple in 70 AD
– Persecute Christians but convert in 300s
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.
Art
• Strict rules about “graven images”
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
Geometric patterns
Arabesques (curved designs)
Calligraphy:
Fancy Writing
Islamic Architecture
• Mosque: place of worship
Many mosques feature columns,
domes and arches.
Islamic architecture often uses an
“atrium” plan.
Minarets are
the towers
where the
muezzin calls
people to
prayer.
Inside, mosques are carpeted and
you must remove your shoes.
Famous Mosques
• The Ka’aba, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Famous Mosques
• Medina
Famous Mosques
• The Dome of the Rock, in
Jerusalem, Israel
More Dome of the Rock
Dome of the Rock Interior
Famous Mosques
• The Great Mosque of Cordoba in
Spain
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.
Other Famous Architecture
• The Alhambra in Spain
• It’s a palace (house).
More Alhambra
More Alhambra
More Alhambra
More Alhambra
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.
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.
Your PROJECT
• Create an Islamic-style Geometric
design.
• It must have RADIAL BALANCE.
• You must color the whole thing
with RADIAL BALANCE with 3 or
more colors to get full credit.
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.