Muslim Journeys: Art

In this comprehensive survey, the authors highlight those characteristics that connect the various arts of all the Islamic lands, without minimizing the differences. Dividing the time into three periods: 600-900, 900-1500 and 1500-1800, they set the artistic development in each era within its historical context and use art as a window into Islamic culture. Written in an accessible style, and illustrated throughout with photographs, maps and plans, the book captures the essence of Islamic culture as expressed in its buildings, books and applied arts, and provides an introduction to the subject for both the student and the general reader

The annual ritual pilgrimage to Makkah was established by the Prophet Muhammad in the last year of his life (AD 632). Over the following centuries the experience and importance of Hajj have been evocatively documented in countless ways. Highlighting the pilgrims' journey across time, the sacred rituals of Hajj, and the city of Makkah itself, this beautiful little book features illuminated manuscripts, wall paintings and photographs, as well as calligraphy, textiles, scientific instruments, decorative tiles, maps, ceramics, metalwork and powerful works by contemporary artists.

This ninety-minute film takes audiences on an epic journey across nine countries and more than 1,400 years of history. It explores the richness of Islamic art in objects big and small, from great ornamented palaces and the play of light in monumental mosques to the exquisite beauty of ceramics, carved boxes, paintings, and metal work. It revels in the use of color and finds commonalities in a shared artistic heritage with the West and East. The film also examines the unique ways in which Islamic art turns calligraphy and the written word into masterpieces and develops water into an expressive, useful art form.

Discusses the architecture and sculpture of mosques and Koranic schools, the illumination and calligraphy of sacred texts, music, and the influence of arabesque on Western art.

The mosque's minaret: alongside the dome, there is no more familiar symbol of a Muslim place of worship. But not all mosques have minarets -- or even domes. This video describes the evolution of the mosque, or masjid, over time and across cultures by using the mosque at Cordoba, Spain; the Friday Mosque in Isfahan, Iran; and many others from around the world as examples. Common elements like decoration with geometric designs and Arabic calligraphy, the place for ritual cleansing, the imam's podium, and the niche that signifies the direction of Mecca are presented, along with a capsule history of Islam's birth and spread

An author and artist who has continually stripped away the mystique of architectural structures that have long fascinated modern people, David Macaulay here reveals the methods and materials used to design and construct a mosque in late-sixteenth-century Turkey. Through the fictional story and Macaulay's distinctive full-color illustrations, readers will learn not only how such monumental structures were built but also how they functioned in relation to the society they served.