Essentials Of Islamic Art & Architecture

Mosques, Calligraphy, Geometric Decoration, and More…

What you'll learn
Students will learn the key developments, vocabulary terms, and works of art which are associated with Islamic art and architecture.
Requirements
Students who have completed the preceding courses "Ancient Art of South Arabia: The Himyarite Kingdom of Yemen" as well as "Essentials of Byzantine Architecture" will be able to appreciate some elements' continuity, but this course also can stand alone and provide a solid grounding in Islamic art and architecture.
Description
This course takes a look at the advent of Islam and the art and architecture it quickly precipitated within the context of the wider world stage of the sixth and seventh centuries C.E. Exclusive images and content about some of the earliest mosques which exist in the Islamic world today- the Great Mosque of Sana'a and the Great Mosque of Ibb, both in present-day Yemen- provide a rare glimpse into the earliest architectural and artistic conventions of Islam as well as these monuments' endangered status today. We trace the art and architecture of Islam from originally Arabian origins north into the formerly-Byzantine lands of Syria and Palestine and follow the Umayyad and 'Abbasid Caliphates' legacies across the Mediterranean Basin to Spain and into Mesopotamia with the foundation of the new city Baghdad. Additionally, we look at the technological and mechanical contributions of the Golden Age of Islam within the broad arch of their histories from Hellenistic Egypt to Medieval Western Europe. 

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Arabia in Context

Lecture 2 The Great Mosque of Sana'a

Section 2: A Unique Character

Lecture 3 Sublime Patterns

Lecture 4 The First Caliphs

Lecture 5 New Dynasties, New Empires with Course Vocabulary Review

High school, university, and graduate students will find both a review of key pieces and developments as well as original research and connections which are exclusive to this course.