Islamic and pre-Islamic art and architecture from Persia, Anatolia, and Central Asia: mosques, the Dome of the Rock, Alhambra, calligraphy, and miniature painting.
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- What is the Dome of the Rock?
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A shrine built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (691 CE) by Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik, marking the site where Muhammad ascended to heaven according to Islamic tradition.- What is the most distinctive architectural feature of the Dome of the Rock?
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A large golden dome sitting on an octagonal base surrounded by a colonnade, with interior decoration of mosaic tilework and marble.- What is the Alhambra?
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A fortified Islamic palace complex built by the Nasrid dynasty in Granada, Spain (14th-15th centuries), featuring courtyards, fountains, and intricate decorative programs.- What type of decoration dominates the interior of the Alhambra?
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Arabesques, geometric patterns, calligraphy, and tilework covering walls and ceilings, often integrated with water features and carved stucco.- What is the Blue Mosque?
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The Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, built 1609-1616, famous for its blue Iznik tile decoration and six minarets, commissioned by Ottoman sultan Ahmed I.- What architectural innovation appears in the Blue Mosque's interior?
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A large central dome supported by semi-domes creating a unified interior space, with extensive windows allowing abundant natural light.- What was the Great Mosque of Cordoba?
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A massive mosque built over two centuries (8th-10th centuries) in Cordoba, Spain by the Umayyad caliphate, renowned for its distinctive red and white striped arches.- What architectural feature characterizes the Great Mosque of Cordoba's interior?
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Horseshoe arches with alternating red and white voussoirs spanning a vast forest of columns throughout the prayer hall.- What is significant about the Mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo?
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Built in the 9th century, it features a large open courtyard with arcades, pointed arches, and geometric stucco decoration, representing early Islamic architecture in Egypt.- What is an iwan in Islamic architecture?
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A vaulted hall or portal open on one side, typically forming an entry to a mosque courtyard or palace, often monumental in scale.- What is muqarnas decoration?
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Three-dimensional honeycomb-like vaulting composed of small brackets and niches, creating complex geometric patterns that are both structural and decorative.- What is an arabesque in Islamic art?
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An ornamental design of intertwining floral and geometric patterns featuring stylized vines and leaves, decorating surfaces without depicting living creatures.- What is a mihrab?
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A decorated niche in the wall of a mosque indicating the direction of Mecca (qibla), serving as the focal point of the mosque's interior.- What is a minaret?
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A tall slender tower attached to or near a mosque, used by the muezzin to broadcast the call to prayer, typically featuring a balcony near the top.- Why is calligraphy so important in Islamic art?
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Islamic tradition prohibits figural representation, making calligraphy the primary visual art form, with Quranic passages and religious phrases rendered as supreme artistic expressions.
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