Islamic art and byzantine art

Islamic Art and Byzantine Art

ISLAMIC ARTFROM 7 TO 17 CENTURY

ISLAMIC WORLD

ISLAMIC ART

It does not just pertain to religious art but also artwork from Muslim ruled

territories or art produced by Muslims.

The art style varied within dynasties but tend to all focus on surface

decoration.

BYZANTINE ART (527-726)

The term Byzantine art is commonly used to describe the artistic products of the Byzantine Empire from about the 5th century until the fall of the Constantinople in 1453.

Also used to refer to the art of Eastern Orthodox states which were contemporary with the Byzantine Empire and were actually influenced by it, without actually being part of it, such as Bulgaria, Serbia or Rus and also for the art of the Republic of Venice and kingdom of Sicily, which had close ties to Byzantine Empire despite being in the other part of western European culture.

BYZANTINE ART

BYZANTINE EMPIREIn 324 Constantine 1 founded the city Constantinople on the site of the Ancient city of Byzantium to serve as the new capital of the Roman Empire.

COMPONENTS OF ISLAMIC ART

The four basic components of Islamic art are-

CalligraphyVegetal PatternGeometric

patternFigural

representation

BYZANTINE ART

Characteristics of Byzantine artFlattened, symbolic, (heavenly) space (gold backgrounds

common)Shapes and figures show continuing trend toward shallow spaceDetails are described by line, not light and shadeElongated proportionsDematerialized bodies with strong emphasis on the eyesOrnate haloes (fr. Persia - designating descent from the Sun)Narrative is created by flat, symbolic shapes, lined

up

CALLIGRAPHY

Calligraphy is the most highly regarded and most fundamental element of Islamic art. It is significant that the Qur’an, the book of God’s revelations, was transmitted in Arabic, and that inherent within the Arabic script is the potential for developing a variety of ornamental forms.

CALLIGRAPHY

There are over 100 styles of Arabic calligraphy.

But only 6 are primary styles.

Names are based on- width of pen, usage, curvature of style, place of development or the name of creator.

CALLIGRAPHY

A major application of Arabic calligraphy is in architect where inscription provide-o Place identity and

functiono Historical information

o Spiritual verseso Decoration

CALLIGRAPHY

Arabic lettering has achieved a high level of sophistication, and

Arabic scripts can vary from flowing cursive styles like Naskh and Thuluth to the angular Kufi. On a traditional Islamic building,

a number of different writing styles may appear on, for

example, the walls, windows, or minarets. Most of the

inscriptions are not only from the Qur'an but also the Hadith (the

Prophet's words) and are in harmony with the religious purposes of the building. An

inscription can give meaning to the building by clarifying its

function.

CALLIGRAPHY

An 18th century Ottoman manuscript.

A close-up of a section of a page of a large format 16th century Shirazi (Iranian) Quran: note the loving detail of what is essentially barely visible “background”. Gold “ink” was added in a number of washes with different colors and transparency.

CALLIGRAPHY

two parallel texts, each in a different color

This is an end-piece of 16th century Shirazi Quran, inscribed — crossword-puzzle-like — with the 99 names of God:

CALLIGRAPHY

Arabic calligraphy is a symbol representing power and beauty. Its history is the integration of artistry and scholarship. Through the abstract beauty of the lines, energy flows in between the letters and words. All the parts are integrated into a whole. These parts include positive spacing, negative spacing, and the flow of energy that weaves together the calligrapher's rendering. The abstract beauty of Arabic calligraphy is not always easily comprehended -- but this beauty will slowly reveal itself to the discerning eye.

Arabic calligraphy is not merely an art form but involves divine and moral representations -- from which calligraphy acquires its sublime reputation.

BYZANTINE ART

In the Byzantine period, a building’s interior decoration often took the form of mosaic “paintings". Mosaic tiles were more costly than materials for traditional painting, demonstrating the wealth of the Byzantine empire.

BYZANTINE ART

San Vitale Basilica, Ravenna, Italy

BYZANTINE ART

San Vitale is a small domed church in the

Byzantine architectural style. It has an

octagonal plan, with a two-story ambulatory enclosing a central

space beneath a great cupola. Attached at an angle to the west side

is an entrance porch or narthex while a small

choir and apse extends to the east.

BYZANTINE ART

San Vitale Basilica, Ravenna, ItalyThe great cupola is

decorated with uninteresting 18th-

century murals, but the remainder of the interior

is fully Byzantine and provides an authentic

atmosphere of antiquity. And most famously, the ceilings of the choir and

apse glitter with magnificent Byzantine mosaics in green and

gold.

BYZANTINE ART

ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

Islamic architecture can be defined as a building traditions of Muslim populations of the Middle East and any countries where

Islam has been dominant from the 7 century.


Types of Islamic architectureMosqueMadarsahHammamCaravanseraiCasbah/citadelMausoleum

Islamic Architecture

Mashrabiya – projecting window enclosed with carved wood lattice work

Sahn – a courtyard combine with ablution area.

Mihrab – a semicircular niche in thwe wall of a mosque that

indicates the Qibla,


Mosque architectural features


THE BLUE MOSQUE The construction of the mosque began in 1609 when Ahmed I the Sultan was only 19

years old. The constructor of the mosque was the architect Mehmet Aga. He was building this masterpiece of Muslim architecture for seven years. In 1616 the mosque was

finished. It officially became known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, but people gave it another name: "Blue Mosque" - because of the fact that the interior of the temple is

decorated with blue tiles. There are more than two hundred thousand of tiles covering the walls of the mosque like a dense carpet.

The mosque was deliberately built next to the church of St. Sophia to demonstrate the ability of the Ottoman and Islamic architects and builders to compete with any construction of their Christian predecessors. Thus, the two buildings form a unique historical and architectural territory.

The block of the "Blue Mosque" in Istanbul is quite traditional for Muslim architecture. Undoubtedly, a model for the construction of the temple was the Hagia Sophia: this is evidenced by the growing upward cascade of domes which reminds of a similar technique employed by the builders of the Byzantine temple. The large central dome is surrounded by four little domes, and under them there are four smaller domes. The number of minarets is quite unusual - there are six of them: four tall minarets usually stand at the corners of the fence and two lower minarets - on the outer corners of the inner courtyard.

The "Blue Mosque" is the world's only mosque with six minarets.


Architectural features of the famous Blue Mosque


Madarsa at Mosque of Sultan Hassan (Cairo, Egypt)

The building becomes a mosque and religious school for all four juristic branches of sunni Islam.Mosque of Sultan Hassan represent a great Mamluk architecture monument in Cairo.

Verse from Quran in elegant Kufic and Thuluth scripts adorn the wall.


Bath houses have played an important ritual role in Islam since the earliest times, as cleanliness is an essential prerequisite of religious activities.

"Minor ablutions" must be performed before each of the five daily prayers, and "major ablutions" are de rigeur after disease and other defilements. The Hammam thus came to serve a

pivotal role in the daily lives of Iranian Muslims. As both men and women gathered there daily (at separate times), it became a space of social

gathering as well. Services rendered there might also include massages and hair cuts, including full-body depilation

for women to comply with Islamic hygienic practice.

Most hammams were located in densely populated areas near the local bazaar.

Often they were constructed on the grounds of madrasas or hospitals

supported by a waqf (endowment for financing religious institutions). In

present times, the use of hammam has fallen off markedly as indoor plumbing

became widely available.


GEOMETRIC PATTERNS

These patterns exemplify the Islamic interest in repetition, balance, symmetry

and continuous generation of

patterns.The integration of geometry with such optical effects as the balancing of positive and negative areas, a skillful use of colour

and tone values.


Arabesque – Arabesque designs are biomorphic, floral patterns representing the Underlying order and unity of nature with a great deal of accuracy . Flowers and Trees might be used as the motifs for decorations.

BYZANTINE ART

HAGIA SOPHIA, ISTANBUL, TURKEYThe Church of the Holy Wisdom, known as Hagia Sophia in

Greek,Sancta Sophia in Latin,

and Ayasofya or Aya Sofya in Turkish, is a

former Byzantine church and former Ottoman mosque

in Istanbul. Now a museum, Hagia

Sophia is universally acknowledged as one of the great buildings

of the world.

BYZANTINE ART

Unfortunately nothing remains of the original Hagia Sophia, which was built on this site in the fourth century by Constantine the Great. Constantine was the first Christian emperor and the founder of the city of Constantinople, which he called "the New Rome."

Following the destruction of Constantine's church, a second was built by his son Constantius and the emperor Theodosius the Great. This second church was burned down during the Nika riots of 532, though fragments of it have been excavated and can be seen today.Hagia Sophia was rebuilt in her present form between 532 and 537 under the personal supervision of Emperor Justinian I.

BYZANTINE ART

The Hagia Sophia has a classical basilica plan. The main ground plan of the building is a rectangle, 230 feet (70 m) in width and 246 feet (75 m) in length. The area is covered by a central dome with a diameter of 102 feet (31 m), which is just slightly smaller than that of the Pantheon in Rome.

BYZANTINE ART

The main dome is carried on pendentives: four concave triangular sections of masonry which solve the problem of setting the circular base of a dome on a rectangular base. Each pendentive is decorated with a seraphim. The weight of the dome passes through the pendentives to four massive piers at the corners, and between them the dome seems to float upon four great arches.

BYZANTINE ART

All interior surfaces are sheathed with

polychrome marble, green and white with purple

porphyry, and gold mosaics. On the

exterior, simple stuccoed walls reveal the clarity of massed vaults and domes. The Islamic calligraphic roundels suspended from the main dome since the 19th century remain in place and make for a fascinating religious

contrast with the uncovered Christian

mosaics.

BYZANTINE ART

The Byzantine mosaics are being gradually uncovered, but only those on the higher gallery levels. The best-known mosaic is called the Deësis Mosaic, and it is the first you come to as you enter the South Gallery through the Marble Door. It depicts a triumphant and kingly Christ (known as "Christ Pantrocrator"), flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist.

BYZANTINE ART

Byzantine Icons•During the 9th century, religions icons became an important part of the Eastern Orthodox Church

•Become very symbolic, using specific iconography

•Icons used as objects of devotion

•Icons become more and more abstract and stylized

BYZANTINE ART

BYZANTINE ART

Icons made of other materials-

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Islamic art and byzantine art