Islamic Architecture: The Islamic Art Of The Islamic World

1217 Words3 Pages

Islamic Art Today, the term Islamic art describes all of the arts that were produced in the lands where Islam was the dominant religion. Islamic art spans over some 1,400 years, covers many lands and populations, and includes a range of artistic fields. The term Islamic art is not only used to describe religious art or architecture, but applies to all art forms produced in the Islamic world. The artists of the Islamic world adapted their creativity to evoke their inner beliefs in a series of abstract forms (Saoud). As Islam spread, a distinctive style of Islamic art gradually developed. Islamic art consists mainly of religious architecture, calligraphic art, the decoration of pottery and other useful objects. Islamic art was unique because …show more content…

While geometric decoration reached its peak in the Islamic world, the sources for both the shapes and the intricate patterns already existed in late antiquity among the Greeks, Romans, and Sasanians in Iran. Geometric patterns make up one of the three nonfigural decorations in Islamic art. They are largely popular with islamic art due to their non-figural quality. These designs not only attract people with the surface of Islamic architecture, but also function as the major decorative element on a vast collection of objects. The art of the Islamic world reflects its cultural values, and reveals the way Muslims view the universe. For the Muslims, reality begins with and centers on Allah or their God. Allah is the focus of their lives and at the heart of worship and aspirations for Muslims. Therefore, Islamic art focuses on the spiritual representation of objects and beings, and not their physical qualities (Hussain, …show more content…

Calligraphic inscriptions are also very closely related to the geometry of their buildings. Islam, perhaps more than any other religion, values writing, and inscriptions. The value of the word is due to the holiness of the revelation, and from earliest Islamic times virtually all types of Islamic art were decorated with writing, even when the medium makes it difficult to add an inscription (Blair, 2012).
Islamic art is known for their religious architecture, calligraphic art, the decoration of pottery and other useful objects. The most well known example of Islamic religious architecture is the mosque, or muslim place of worship. In a religion that considers figural representation as a sin, it is no surprise that the art of calligraphy would be among the most popular islamic arts. The earliest form of the calligraphy is the kufic script and quranic verses.
Islamic art has notable achievements in ceramics, both in pottery and tiles for buildings, which reached heights unmatched by other cultures. The decoration of pottery, or ceramics, was greatly influenced by chinese ceramics. Islamic art has notable achievements in in ceramics, both in pottery and tiles for buildings, which required an immense amount of detail and effort. Besides for just decorations, ceramics were used for storage, cooking, and serving

More about Islamic Architecture: The Islamic Art Of The Islamic World

Open Document