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Islamic art

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Art and design of the Muslim world, dating from the foundation of the Islamic faith in the 7th century AD . Having developed few artistic traditions of their own, the Muslim Arabs who conquered parts of Asia, Europe, and North Africa in the late 7th and early 8th centuries adopted elements of Byzantine , Coptic , and Persian art, fusing them into a distinctive decorative style based on calligraphy. The traditions laid down by Islam created devout, painstaking craftspeople whose creative purpose was the glory of God. Islamic doctrine controlled all artistic endeavour, whether calligraphy, the decorative arts, or representational art. Sculpture was prohibited and carvers turned instead to exquisite inlay and fretwork, notably on doors and screens, in Islamic monuments such as the Alhambra Palace, Granada, Spain, and the Taj Mahal, India. Today, Islamic art is to be found predominately in Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, the Indian subcontinent, and the Central Asian republics. Calligraphy The…
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Islamic art began to develop as a unique synthesis of the diverse cultures of conquered countries from the 7th century. Early Islamic art and craft is best illustrated in the architecture of the mosque . Two of the most impressive surviving examples of early Islamic architecture are the Dome of the…
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Full text Article Islamic art

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Art and design of the Muslim world, dating from the foundation of the Islamic faith in the 7th century AD . Having developed few artistic traditions of their own, the Muslim Arabs who conquered parts of Asia, Europe, and North Africa in the late 7th and early 8th centuries adopted elements of…
| 858 words
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works of art and architecture created in countries where Islam has been dominant and embodying Muslim precepts in its themes. In the century after the death ( A.D. 632) of the prophet Muhammad, his Arab followers spread his teachings through Egypt and N Africa, as far west as Spain, and as far east…
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Theoretical discussions of Islamic art and architecture include Grabar, Oleg , The Formation of Islamic Art , rev. and enlarged ed. (1987). and The Mediation of Ornament: The A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts (1992); Khalili, Nasser D. , Visions of Splendour in Islamic Art and Culture (2008; …
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The 21st century has produced innovative art and architecture from the Islamic world, but has also been a period in which historically and artistically significant works, buildings, and monuments have been threatened and even destroyed. Some of the destruction was the unfortunate result of warfare…
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Many of the masterpieces of Islamic architecture...
What, exactly, is Islamic art? When discussing Islamic art, it is first essential to realize that no ethnic group or geographical area was Muslim from the beginning. There is no Islamic art in the way there is a Chinese art or a French art. Nor is it simply a period art, like Gothic art or Baroque…
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Islamic art and architecture is that of the Muslim peoples, who emerged in the early seventh century from the Arabian Peninsula. The Muslim empire reached its peak during the golden age of Islam from the eighth to the 13th century. Literary and archaeological evidence reveals that the early…
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arabesque A style of decoration characterized by intertwining plants and abstract curvilinear motifs. As adapted by Muslim artisans about 1000 CE, it became highly formalized. atelier A workshop in which several people are employed at artists’ or artisans’ tasks. atavistic Displaying a character…
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Full text Article Islamic Art and Architecture

From The Britannica Guide to Islam
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Scroll fragment of the Koran from the Abbasid period, Islamic art, 8th-9th Century.
Location: Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Istanbul, Turkey Credit: Scroll fragment of the Koran from the Abbasid period, Islamic art, 8th-9th Century. / Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Istanbul, Turkey / De Agostini Picture Library / G. Dagli Orti / The Bridgeman Art Library Description: …
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