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Islamic Art

The list below, chosen by Islamic art historians Jonathan M. Bloom and Sheila S. Blair, includes only 10 symbolic “pages” or glimpses from the vast “manuscript” of Islamic civilization, but they offer a vibrant cross-section of the riches contained in the whole.

  • The Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, built in 692 C.E. The first great work of Islamic architecture. It was built over the rock from which the Prophet Muhammad made his miraculous ascent to heaven, described in Chapter (Sura) 17 of the Qur’an
  • The Malwiya minaret, Samarra, Iraq, mid-ninth century C.E. This 50-metre (160-foot) helicoidal tower of sun-dried and baked brick, was probably modeled on ancient ziggurats. It symbolizes the power of Islam at the zenith of the Baghdad-based Abbasid Caliphate.
  • The Mughira pyxis, carved at Cordoba, Spain, 968 C.E. This small and exquisite box, carved from a cylindrical section of elephant tusk, is the most beautiful of the handful of known Islamic ivory carvings. Now in The Louvre, Paris.
  • The minbar from the Kutubiyya Mosque, Marrakesh, Morocco, 1137 C.E. This wooden pulpit, nearly four metres (13 feet) tall, was carved in Cordoba by descendants of the workmen who carved the Mughira pyxis. Hundreds of thousands of pieces of wood and bone are carved and fitted together with consummate artistry.
  • The mihrab from the Maydan Mosque, Kashan, Iran, 1226 C.E. (A mihrab is a niche in the wall of a mosque or masjid, indicating the direction of the Ka’bah.) Composed of glazed ceramic slabs fitted into a complex, harmonious ensemble of calligraphy and arabesques, this is the acme of the difficult luster technique of overglaze decoration, perfected by Persian ceramicists. Now in the Islamic Museum of Berlin.
  • The Baptistere of Saint-Louis, Cairo, 1300 C.E. This hammered bronze basin, inlaid with silver and gold, is decorated on both the interior and exterior with marvelous figural scenes showing hunters, servants, and warriors. First made to catch water after hand-washing before prayers, it was only later used as a baptismal font by the French court. Now in The Louvre.
  • The Ahmad al-Suhrawardi Qur’an manuscript, Baghdad, 1307 C.E. This is arguably the finest display of the calligrapher’s art. The paper was polished to an impeccable smoothness, allowing the pen to glide effortlessly across its pearly surface. This was a multi-volume manuscript created for an anonymous patron, but the original set is now dispersed. The colophon is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
  • The Ardebil Carpets, Iran, 1539-40 C.E. These two enormous carpets were worked in 10 colors of silk and wool. Each has more than 25 million knots, making them one of the most splendid examples of the weaver’s art. This one is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; the other is in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
  • The Selimiye Mosque, Edirne, Turkey, 1574 C.E. The breathtaking interior of this mosque is the masterpiece of Ottoman architect Sinan, who created a huge and uninterrupted space under a towering dome. The centralized space of the prayer hall literally and symbolically embraces the community of believers and unites them under God’s radiance.
  • The Taj Mahal, Agra, India, 1647 C.E. This enormous white marble mausoleum is set in a garden along the banks of the Jamuna River, the centerpiece of a complex designed to evoke the gardens of Paradise that await faithful believers.