October 18, 2013 · Marina Alin
Biomorphic patterns in Islamic art – Tracing the origin
Islamic biomorphic patterns are usually called arabesques. The term ‘arabesque’ is relatively new; it came to Europe after Napoleon’s campaign in Africa. “In a broad sense of this term, the arabesque includes ornamentation…
September 7, 2013 · Henri Stierlin
Bridges of Isfahan
Isfahan grew up next to the Zayandeh Rud, which feeds the oasis where people had first settled in prehistoric times. To carry the line of the Chahar Bagh across the river, Shah ‘Abbas…
May 27, 2012 · islamic-arts.org Team
Qutb Minar Complex, Delhi
The Qutb complex (Hindi: क़ुतुब परिसर, Urdu: قطب پرِسر), also spelled Qutab or Qutub, is an array of monuments and buildings at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. The construction of Qutb Minar was intended…
April 5, 2012 · Fernando Valdés
Al-Andalus: The Orient in the West
In 711 the Arabs (in the Iberian Peninsula, “Arab” and “Muslim” are synonyms) arrived in the western-most territory of Mediterranean Europe. Within a short time, after very few battles and some sieges that were nearly all solved through negotiations, the Arabs provoked the collapse of the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo, and incorporated what has since then been known as al-Andalus, the political territory under Muslim Arab dominance, into dar al-Islam.
April 4, 2012 · Sheila Canby
Pilgrimage and Prayer
Written by Sheila Canby Description of objects written by Aimee Froom (‘The Path of Princes: Masterpieces from the Aga Khan Museum Collection’, published in 2008). Pilgrimage to Mecca, or hajj, plays an important role…
February 14, 2012 · Neil MacGregor
Coins of Abd al-Malik
These two dinar coins sum up one of the greatest political and religious upheavals ever – the permanent transformation of the Middle East in the years following the death of the Prophet Muhammad….
January 20, 2012 · Barry Hoberman
From Cuneiform to Topkapi
In the Islamic world, where reading and literacy have always been highly prized for the access they provide to the word of God and the world of knowledge, books were objects of both…
January 5, 2012 · islamic-arts.org Team
Science and Islam – a BBC documentary
Physicist Jim Al-Khalili travels through Syria, Iran, Tunisia and Spain to tell the story of the great leap in scientific knowledge that took place in the Islamic world between the 8th and 14th…
January 5, 2012 · Markus Hattstein
Science in Islam – the forgotten brilliance
Islamic science was in its prime during the European Middle Ages, between the 9th and the 13th centuries, particularly in the brilliant period of the Abbasid caliphate from the 9th century to the…
December 14, 2011 · Jennier M. Scarce
Domestic Culture of Cities in the Middle East (16th to 19th century)
This article invites the reader to enter and enjoy wealthy urban homes in Turkey, Egypt and Iran between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. This was a period of flourishing traditional culture and also of…
October 12, 2011 · Kamil Khan Mumtaz
Reading Masjid Wazir Khan
Wazir Khan’s Mosque, in the heart of the Walled City of Lahore, is one of the most thoroughly documented and discussed of our monuments. In 1887, Kipling (John Lockwood, father of Rudyard) discussed…
September 14, 2011 · islamic-arts.org Team
Taj Mahal – Refined Elegance
The Taj Mahal: Symbol of India, architectural jewel, and monument to a grand passion. We take a closer look at the Taj Mahal and revisit its history – why it was built and…
aeptember 13, 2011 · islamic-arts.org Team
Bukhara – History and Architecture
Oasis city in the Republic of Uzbekistan, Central Asia. Bukhara is located in the valley of the Zeravshan river 200 km west of Samarkand. The city was first mentioned by its present name…
September 13, 2011 · Andrew Petersen
Cairo (Arabic: al-Qahira)
Capital of Egypt and one of the most prominent cities of the Islamic world. The English name for the city derives from the French, Le Caire, which in turn is derived from the…
September 13, 2011 · Andrew Petersen
Baghdad (Madinat al-Salam)
Baghdad was founded by the Abbasid caliph al- Mansur in 762. According to historical accounts al- Mansur built a round city with four gates and a palace and mosque at the centre. Leading…
September 9, 2011 · Andrew Petersen
Damascus to Aqaba– Guardians of the pilgrim wells (Hajj Forts)
Written by David L. Kennedy and Andrew Peterson Since the early 20th century, pilgrims to Makkah have sped to their destination in engine-powered vehicles. But for 13 centuries before that, they experienced very…
September 9, 2011 · Andrew Petersen
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan – Architecture & History
Small country (88,946 square km) located at the east end of the Mediterranean, bordering Palestine, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Jordan can be divided into four main zones, each of which extends into…
September 8, 2011 · Markus Hattstein
History of the Nasrids of Granada
by Markus Hattstein The last Islamic kingdom in Western Europe and the rise of the Nasrids The last Islamic kingdom in Western Europe, the Nasrid kingdom of Granada, has always fascinated historians…
September 3, 2011 · islamic-arts.org Team
An Islamic History of Europe
In this 90-minute documentary, Rageh Omaar uncovers the hidden story of Europe’s Islamic past and looks back to a golden age when European civilisation was enriched by Islamic learning. Rageh travels across…
September 2, 2011 · Dr. Zohar Idrisi
The Influence of Islamic Culinary Art on Europe
This article was originally a talk presented at the international conference 1001 Inventions: Discover the Muslim Heritage in our World organised by FSTC at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester on…
August 26, 2011 · Sardar Marika
Medieval Islamic World – Astronomy and Astrology
The Study of Astronomy During the medieval period, scientists in the Islamic worldmade many contributions to the field of astronomy. While their work was based on ancient sources from Greece, Iran, and India, they updated…
March 19, 2011 · islamic-arts.org Team
When the Moors (Muslims) Ruled Europe (complete documentary)
An insightful documentary into the glorious rule of the Moors in Spain Join British historian Bettany Hughes as she examines a long-buried chapter of European history–the rise and fall of Islamic culture in what is…
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