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A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (adhan) from a muezzin,but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can have a variety of forms,from thick,squat towers to soaring,pencil-thin spires.
Mihrab is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla,the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a mihrab appears is thus the "qibla wall".
An iwan is a rectangular hall or space,usually vaulted,walled on three sides,with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called pishtaq,a Persian term for a portal projecting from the facade of a building,usually decorated with calligraphy bands,glazed tilework,and geometric designs. Since the definition allows for some interpretation,the overall forms and characteristics can vary greatly in terms of scale,material,or decoration.
Islam:Empire of Faith is a documentary series,made in 2000,that details the history of Islam,from the birth of the Islamic prophet,Muhammad to the Ottoman Empire. It is narrated by Ben Kingsley and is available as three DVDs or two video volumes in NTSC format.
The Emirate of Córdoba or Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba was a medieval Islamic kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula.
Stucco decoration in Islamic architecture refers to carved or molded stucco and plaster. The terms "stucco" and "plaster" are used almost interchangeably in this context to denote most types of stucco or plaster decoration with slightly varying compositions. This decoration was mainly used to cover walls and surfaces and the main motifs were those predominant in Islamic art:geometric,arabesque,and calligraphic,as well as three-dimensional muqarnas. Plaster of gypsum composition was extremely important in Islamic architectural decoration as the relatively dry climate throughout much of the Islamic world made it easy to use this cheap and versatile material in a variety of spaces.
There have been many architectural styles used in Egyptian buildings over the centuries,including Ancient Egyptian architecture,Greco-Roman architecture,Islamic architecture,and modern architecture.
Mechouar or meshwar is a type of location,typically a courtyard within a palace or a public square at the entrance of a palace,in the Maghreb or in historic al-Andalus. It can serve various functions such as a place of assembly or consultation,an administrative area where the government's affairs are managed. It was the place where the sultan historically held audiences,receptions and ceremonies. The name is sometimes also given to a larger area encompassing the palace,such as the citadel or royal district of a city.
A four-centred arch or four-centered arch is a low,wide type of arch with a pointed apex. Its structure is achieved by drafting two arcs which rise steeply from each springing point on a small radius,and then turning into two arches with a wide radius and much lower springing point. It is a pointed sub-type of the general flattened depressed arch. This type of arch uses space efficiently and decoratively when used for doorways. It is also employed as a wall decoration in which arcade and window openings form part of the whole decorative surface. Two of the most notable types are known as the Persian arch,which is moderately "depressed" and found in Islamic architecture,and the Tudor arch,which is much flatter and found in English architecture. Another variant,the keel arch,has partially straight rather than curved sides and developed in Fatimid architecture.
Fatimid art refers to artifacts and architecture from the Fatimid Caliphate (909–1171),an empire based in Egypt and North Africa. The Fatimid Caliphate was initially established in the Maghreb,with its roots in a ninth-century Shia Ismailist Many monuments survive in the Fatimid cities founded in North Africa,starting with Mahdia,on the Tunisian coast,the principal city prior to the conquest of Egypt in 969 and the building of al-Qahira,the "City Victorious",now part of modern-day Cairo. The period was marked by a prosperity amongst the upper echelons,manifested in the creation of opulent and finely wrought objects in the decorative arts,including carved rock crystal,lustreware and other ceramics,wood and ivory carving,gold jewelry and other metalware,textiles,books and coinage. These items not only reflected personal wealth,but were used as gifts to curry favour abroad. The most precious and valuable objects were amassed in the caliphal palaces in al-Qahira. In the 1060s,following several years of drought during which the armies received no payment,the palaces were systematically looted. The libraries largely destroyed,precious gold objects melted down,with a few of the treasures dispersed across the medieval Christian world. Afterwards Fatimid artifacts continued to be made in the same style,but were adapted to a larger populace using less precious materials.
Sheila S. Blair is a Canadian-born American art historian and educator. Blair has served as the dual Norma Jean Calderwood University Professor of Islamic and Asian Art at Boston College,along with her husband,Jonathan M. Bloom.
The horseshoe arch,also called the Moorish arch and the keyhole arch,is a type of arch in which the circular curve is continued below the horizontal line of its diameter,so that the opening at the bottom of the arch is narrower than the arch's full span. Evidence for the earliest uses of this form are found in Late Antique and Sasanian architecture,but it became emblematic of Islamic architecture,especially Moorish architecture. It also made later appearances in Moorish Revival and Art Nouveau styles. Horseshoe arches can take rounded,pointed or lobed form.
Islamic Art:Mirror of the Invisible World is a PBS documentary film that showcases the variety and diversity of Islamic art. It discusses Islamic culture and its role in the rise of world civilization over the centuries. It was produced in 2011 by Alex Kronemer and Michael Wolfe of Unity Productions Foundation.
The Fatimid architecture that developed in the Fatimid Caliphate (909–1167 CE) of North Africa combined elements of eastern and western architecture,drawing on Abbasid architecture,Byzantine,Ancient Egyptian,Coptic architecture and North African traditions;it bridged early Islamic styles and the medieval architecture of the Mamluks of Egypt,introducing many innovations.
Abbasid architecture developed in the Abbasid Caliphate between 750 and 1227,primarily in its heartland of Mesopotamia . The great changes of the Abbasid era can be characterized as at the same time political,geo-political and cultural. The Abbasid period starts with the destruction of the Umayyad ruling family and its replacement by the Abbasids,and the position of power is shifted to the Mesopotamian area. As a result there was a corresponding displacement of the influence of classical and Byzantine artistic and cultural standards in favor of local Mesopotamian models as well as Persian. The Abbasids evolved distinctive styles of their own,particularly in decoration. This occurred mainly during the period corresponding with their power and prosperity between 750 and 932.
The Alcázar Genil is a Muslim-era palace in the city of Granada,Spain. It was originally called al-Qasr al-Sayyid and is located beside the River Genil outside the city walls. Today,only a pavilion of the palace is preserved. It currently houses the Francisco Ayala Foundation.
Architecture in Libya spans thousands of years and includes ancient Roman sites,Islamic architecture,and modern architecture.
Henri Terrasse was a French historian,archeologist,and orientalist who specialized in the art and history of the Islamic world and of Morocco in particular.
The architecture of Tunisia began with the ancient civilizations such as the Carthaginians,Numidians,and Romans. After the 7th century,Islamic architecture developed in the region under a succession of dynasties and empires. In the late 19th century French colonial rule introduced European architecture,and modern architecture became common in the second half of the 20th century. The southern regions of the country are also home to diverse examples of local vernacular architecture used by the Berber (Amazigh) population.
